Annual Bookworm Literary Festival kicks off

Australian author Linda Jaivin is one of the celebrity authors at the festival. [Photo by Xing Yi/China Daily]

On March 26, He Jiahong, a law professor at Renmin University of China and acclaimed crime novelist, will discuss his second book, Black Holes, which was been published in English by Penguin Books last year.

"We hope to become the bridge between the international writing world and China. We bring writers here to show them China and attract Chinese people here to meet international writers," says Goff.

"When we first started the festival, all the events were in English. But this year a quarter of the events are bilingual."

The annual festival was first launched in 2007, and has gradually gained recognition as more famous writers at home and abroad join the celebration each year, such as China's top novelist Yan Lianke and France's Prix Goncourt prizewinner Tahar Ben Jelloun.

The festival isn't restricted to literature: There are discussions on environmental issues, reflections on technology, documentary and other film screenings and stand-up comedy performances.

Although many of the events will be held in Beijing, others will be organized in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province, where The Bookworm has branches.

Events in Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Ningbo in Zhejiang province are being held in cooperation with consulates and local universities.

Meanwhile, the Capital Literary Festival, which in previous years has been hosted by the M Restaurant Group in Beijing at the same time as the Bookworm event, has been pushed back to the fall of 2015. The group's annual literary series in Shanghai is also held in November.

Founded in 2002, The Bookworm cafe and bookstore in the capital's Sanlitun area has become a popular gathering place for foreign writers and readers.

The festival program can be read at bookwormfestival.com.