Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai

155 th / 5 th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS (1857/2007)
join us for this double celebration – refreshments will be served
RAS CHINA MONOGRAPH LAUNCH & OFFICIAL LIBRARY OPENING
Saturday 27 th October 2012
PROGRAMME
4:00pm Registration
4:30pm Lindsay Shen – Presentation
5:30pm Reception
6:00pm Official Opening of RAS Library
Love in the Library: Florence Ayscough
and the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
Lindsay Shen
Born into wealth and privilege in Concession-era Shanghai,
Florence Ayscough was far from the stereotypical
Shanghailander. Writer, poetry translator, art collector and
gardener, Ayscough was to become a highly respected
interpreter of Chinese culture to the west. While her life in
Shanghai encompassed the typical landmarks of
Shanghailander life such as the Country Club, the Paper Hunt,
the Race Course and the Astor House Hotel, it also revolved around the North China Branch of the Royal
Asiatic Society, which elected her its first woman Honorary Member.
The Society’s librarian from 1908-1923, she built the library into one of the finest on the China Coast. Her
second husband fell in love with her there, between the card catalogue and the bookshelves.
Join Lindsay Shen in an exploration into the life of this talented, multi-faceted woman who impacted the way
the west understood China.
Lindsay Shen is the author of Knowledge is Pleasure: Florence Ayscough in Shanghai, published by Hong
Kong University Press, as one of the two first titles in the series China Monographs from the Royal Asiatic
Society Shanghai.
VENUE: Sino-British College USST, 1195 Fuxing Zhong Lu near Shaanxi Nan Lu
Entrance: Members 40 rmb OR 120 rmb to include one Monograph
Non Members 80 rmb OR 150 rmb to include one Monograph
LAUNCH SPECIAL OFFER PROMOTION - ONE FREE ENTRANCE:
If you purchase Monograph Series 1 and 2 (200 rmb) at this event
RSVP: bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
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