We arrive by turbo prop from Bangkok, juddering slowly across a corrugated expanse of jungle-encrusted hills with mist floating in the hollows. As we touch down at Luang Prabang’s sleepy airport I remember my father talking about how he had to hold the door of the aircraft shut when he flew across Laos almost 50 … Read more
Wednesday, April 15th – BERLIN 18.00 Illustrated lecture: The Last Concubine: Secrets of the Women’s Palace At the centre of the German-Japanese Society of Berlin, Deutsch-Japanisches Zentrum Berlin, Saargemünder Str. 2 Thursday, April 16th – HAMBURG 19.00 Reading: The Last Concubine Shiawase Japanisches Restaurant Jungfernstieg 7 Hamburg Friday, April 17th BIELEFELD 19.00 Illustrated lecture: The … Read more
Asia House Presents Japan Through Writers’ Eyes Thursday 19 March 6.45pm How does one begin to understand the enigma that is Japan? Four Japan specialists will celebrate Eland’s new book, Japan Through Writers’ Eyes, edited by journalist and former Tokyo resident Elizabeth Ingrams. She will be joined by three travel specialists: Lesley Downer, author of … Read more
Many congratulations to Julia Gregson who won the romantic novel of the year award 2009 for her wonderful novel East of the Sun. I was honoured to be nominated for the shortlist and much enjoyed meeting my fellow shortlisters Cecelia Ahern, Linda Gillard, Susanna Kearsley and Judith Lennox. The competition, the award and the very … Read more
The Last Concubine comes out in paperback on February 12th 2009. Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Romantic Novel of the Year Bestselling author Cecelia Ahern is one of the six authors shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009, which is organised by the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The final six novels are currently being read by a panel of three judges, who will select the winner in time for the … Read more
A reviewer of The Last Concubine in the highly respected Literary Review wrote: ‘The author, who lived in Japan for many years, has published non-fiction accounts of the lives of the geishas, and capitalises on recent Western interest in their esoteric, vanished world with her detailed depiction of Sachi’s life in the rarefied harem.’ I’m … Read more
Tuesday November 18th 7 pm Oxford University Japan Society Oriel College, Oxford Illustrated lecture on The Last Concubine: Secrets of the Women’s Palace Free for members, £1.50 for non-members
Lesley Downer is featured author on the Canadian Penguin Book Club website.
There are two German language interviews with Lesley Downer online at BYM.de and NDRKultur.de, which also includes a radio interview available as an audio podcast.