Babel-On with R.F. Kuang Online
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 19.
R.F. Kuang’s genre-bending fiction broaches ordinarily serious topics from a satirical and fantastical perspective. Academic yet approachable, Kuang’s work combines history, magic, and classical literary tradition to render powerful critiques of academia, the publishing industry, and even contemporary popular culture. Her most recent novel, Katabasis, follows two graduate students as they descend into hell after the death of their professor, and the screen rights options to the novel were sold to Amazon MGM Studios for an upcoming TV series before its publication. Author and Book Riot editor Kelly Jensen will be joining Kuang in conversation.
REGISTER HERE for this Zoom program. A recording will be available for a limited time on the Illinois Libraries Present YouTube channel, and a link will be emailed to all registrants.
R. F. Kuang's other bestselling titles include Yellowface, Babel, and The Poppy War trilogy. She is the recipient of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, and the American Book Award.
Kelly Jensen is an anti-censorship advocate, a senior editor at Book Riot, and writer who has compiled such anthologies as Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World and (Don’t) Call Me Crazy.
- Date:
- Wednesday, May 20, 2026
- Time:
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Time Zone:
- Central Time - US & Canada (change)
- Online:
- This is an online event.
- Event URL:
- https://bit.ly/ILPKuang
- Audience:
- Adult
- Categories:
- Author Event Featured
Sponsored by the Friends of the Glencoe Public Library.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
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