Author name: Anna Chen

UK writer and broadcaster Anna Chen challenges stale empire narratives with original insights and a dash of wit. A politically informed artist, poet and pioneering China commentator, she has led successful strategies to raise consciousness and run over dogma with her karma. Cultural breakthroughs include: UK’s First Chinese Punk, First To Take A Show To The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Published Poet At 14, Orwell Prize Shortlisted, TED Speaker, BBC Writer And Presenter, Dissenting Journalist, Critical Thinker And Political Analyst. A lifetime of political analysis & cultural response in published articles, radio, videos, blog and poetry.

Anna May Wong Not Your China Doll by Katie Gee Salisbury - book review by Anna Chen

Anna May Wong – Not Your China Doll book review

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A lively, well-written romp through Anna May Wong’s life and career, if light on the political landscape that shaped her. Impressive research and detail in the book tell a good yarn. Written through the lens of the Chinese American author, the identity politics often hit the mark.
Forgotten, however, the political manipulation of perception that has resulted in the very real tragedy of race hysteria that’s seen Asian women attacked and murdered.
Book review by Anna Chen

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Boris Johnson scary clown jannes-van-den-wouwer Unsplash

Heroes and villains of 2023: Xi Jinping or Boris Johnson?

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At the end of 2023, it’s worth taking a look at how heroes and villains have been shaped by media narratives this year.

Most of us by now recognise Boris Johnson’s role as the Horsemen of the Apocalypse rolled into one overfed scary clown.

Far more column inches have been blaring at us about Xi Jinping’s imagined failings than the effects of Brexit and the Covid pandemic which is still with us.

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Anna Chen Asia Times Shakespeare Wars of the Roses

Wars of the Roses: Shakespeare First Folio 400th anniversary

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Review of Shakespeare’s The Wars of the Roses — Henry VI parts 1 & 2 and Richard III. That’s us, that is.
On this month’s 400th anniversary of the First Folio’s publication, what looks like a simple squaring up of combative parties is more a dodecahedron of feuding interests.
Shakespeare’s history play cycle, a cynic’s take on human relations in favour of the strong leader who will restore equilibrium and God’s order, strips bare the mindset that kicked off Britain’s empire now wheezing into a comeback effort. First time as tragedy, second time top-and-tailing the empire years with added farce.

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