https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/qu-lei-lei-caroline-deane-exhibition-installation/
Do go to see this exhibition organised by the Oxford Festival of the Arts. I met the artist Qu Leilei, in 2005, while reviewing his one man show at the Ashmolean. That meeting changed my life and led to ten years of work because I couldn’t understand why devotees of art in the West didn’t know the story of the Stars artists including, Qu Leilei, who marched Tianamen Square under a banner saying In Politics we want Democracy and in Art Freedom. (Beijing 1979) and narrowly escaped arrest and imprisonment. (Leilei second from right)
If you would like to know something about the extraordinary life of Qu Leilei, it is summarised in my feature for The Oxford Times. I decided that Leilei had lived nine lives. The feature was published at the time of the launch of Brushstrokes in Time, my novel telling the story of the courageous Stars artists.
Praise for Brushstrokes in Time
A brilliant, compelling read: Shrenik Rao (Editor Madras Courier )
Former chief foreign correspondent of the Guardian, China expert, John Gittings, read it determined to find fault but says that he failed and instead endorsed it as ,
“Vetta is always accurate with a grasp of vivid detail.”
The internationally respected poet, Dr Jenny Lewis says,
“For me, it has to be among my top ten historical novels, certainly of this century. Utterly mesmerising and unforgettable.”
Dr. Maria Jaschok who lived in China between 1980-1996 says,
“Moving but never mawkish, informed yet entirely accessible.”
Lady Moyra Bannister Absolutely brilliant
Among the 78 mostly 5 star reviews on Amazon all Ray Foulk the author of Stealing Dylan from Woodstock wrote
“I haven’t done much work today because I could not put this page-turner down. As I reached the end just one thought dominated: everyone should read this book. No one I’ve ever come across has managed to tell the story of modern Chinese politics, arts and society in such accessible, imaginative and compelling a fashion.”
