From Reader to Storyteller | Finding the Key to History with Fengluo Baiyi
Yet when we begin to write or speak, we discover that understanding a story and telling it in a way people want to hear are two different skills.
How do we find a meaningful thread in a vast body of historical sources? How can years of reading and reflection become a work with a voice of its own? At a time when AI can generate text in seconds, what do a creator's knowledge, judgment, and expression truly mean?
On November 22, the Fenghua Wendao cultural series welcomes historian and history presenter Fengluo Baiyi for an in-person conversation about reading, research, and creative work.
The Key to History: From Reading to Expression
The theme of this event is “From Reader to Storyteller,” a conversation with readers about the creation of Stories of Chinese History.
Guest Speaker: Fengluo Baiyi
Fengluo Baiyi has long been devoted to reading, reflecting on, and writing about Chinese history. He is also a history presenter on platforms including Ximalaya and WeRead. His works include Stories of American History, Stories of European History, Stories of Middle Eastern History, Stories of Buddhist History, and Stories of Chinese History.
On the journey from reader to storyteller, how does one choose a subject, organize research, and form an independent understanding? How can history be brought closer to today's readers? Drawing on the creation of Stories of Chinese History, he will share his experience and reflections.
How Can We Create Work People Love in the Age of AI?
Our reading continues to grow, and we may have many ideas we want to write about. But between “I want to write” and actually beginning, there are often practical questions:
These questions will provide the starting point for the presentation and discussion.
If you have a subject you have not yet begun, a manuscript you keep revising, or a question from your reading that will not let go, bring it with you and join the conversation.
Come with Questions, Leave with Inspiration
Along with the featured talk, the event includes a reader conversation and resource exchange. Participants can share reading lists, research materials, creative experience, and opportunities for collaboration.
Everyone brings a different reading journey and a different set of questions. Someone else's question may open a direction we have never considered, while another person's creative experience may give us greater confidence in our own next step.
Friends interested in Chinese history and traditional culture, local writers, literature enthusiasts, educators, and all curious readers are warmly invited.
Let us begin with a book, a story, and a question, then talk about history and how each of us can find our own voice.