Exploring East and South East Asian Stories (literary salon with Anna Sulan Masing)

A community literary salon for East & Southeast Asian Heritage Month, at West End Arts Library

Join us to learn more about East and South East Asian stories, in celebration of East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month. There will be a panel discussion with 3 authors, followed by an open session for tea & chatter where you can meet the writers, buy their books and discuss more with each other!

AUTHORS

Troy Cabida is the author of Neon Manila (2025), a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. His pamphlets include War Dove (2020) and Symmetric of Bone: poems after Elsa Peretti (2024), a Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice. He works as co-editor for fourteen poems and library assistant for the National Poetry Library.

Winnie M Li is the author of three novels and Assistant Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. A Harvard graduate and former film producer, her debut Dark Chapter won The Guardian's Not The Booker Prize, was nominated for an Edgar Award, and translated into ten languages. She has since adapted it for the screen. Her follow-up Complicit was a New York Times Editors' Choice and shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award. Her most recent novel What We Left Unsaid has been called 'heartbreaking, beautiful, and confronting' by Sarah Winman. Winnie has appeared on BBC Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine, Sky News, Channel 4, The Guardian, The Times, The Mail on Sunday, The Irish Times, TEDx London, and elsewhere. Her social media posts on gendered violence, survivorhood, and recovery often go viral, with over 30 million views in total. Winnie holds a PhD from the London School of Economics in Media and Communications and an honorary doctorate of law from the National University of Ireland.

Host Dr Anna Sulan Masing is an academic, poet and journalist; and brand strategy director at Mr Lyan Studio. She co-founded SOURCED, a public research platform exploring our global food and drink systems; and is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Cheese magazine. Her 10-part podcast Taste of Place (Whetstone Radio Collective) explores colonialism and nostalgia through the history of pepper. Her 2025 podcast To Be Delicious: a cultural context of MSG in Britain (Lecker) looks at ESEA food culture, diaspora, racism, and the future of msg and umami. Her debut book, Chinese And Any Other Asian, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in February 2025.

EVENT DETAILS

Community Literary Salon 1.00 - 4.00pm

Westminster Music Library - 1st floor West End Arts Library (35 St Martin's Street, London WC2H 7DE)

Suitable for ages 16+

N.B. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access from street level. The event takes place on the first floor, and there is no lift.

All three books will be available for sale on the day, and authors available for signing. (Card payment only)

Following the talks, enjoy tea/coffee refreshments and browse our Library collection highlights of art books, novels, poetry and history writing centring East and South East Asian writers.

This event is organised in partnership with Dr Anna Sulan Masing and Dr Anushka Tay at Westminster City Council Libraries.

Find out more info or book your tickets on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-east-and-south-east-asian-stories-tickets-1994311971793

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