Winnie M Li

Winnie M Li
Born
New Haven, Connecticut
Alma mater

Winnie M Li is an American writer, novelist and activist based in England. Her first novel Dark Chapter, released in 2017, was based on her own experience of a stranger rape in 2008.[1] Her second novel Complicit was published in 2022.[2]

Early life and education

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Winnie Li was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Taiwanese immigrants. Her family lived in Pennsylvania before settling in Wayne, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, she attended Harvard University where she majored in Folklore and Mythology. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard, she moved to Cork, Ireland to pursue a Master of Arts (MA) in English at the National University of Ireland, Cork (now University College Cork).[3] In 2000, Li was selected in the inaugural class of George Mitchell Scholars.[4]

Later upon deciding to go into writing, Li completed a second MA in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is currently undertaking PhD research at the London School of Economics (LSE).[5]

Rape

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In April 2008 Li was raped by a 15-year-old boy in Colin Glen Forest Park in Belfast. Li was in Belfast to attend a conference to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Northern Ireland peace process. Li suffered 39 separate injuries from the assault.[6] The case caused outcry in Belfast and received national media attention.[7] A community vigil was held in the park a week after the assault.[8] The perpetrator was arrested and ultimately convicted.[9]

Writing and activism

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In the aftermath of the assault Li began writing about her experience. Li contributed an essay about her assault to the book Sushi and Tapas in 2011.[10] Li wrote several articles for the Huffington Post starting in 2014 on her assault and broader themes of sexual violence.[11] In 2015 Li co-founded the Clear Lines Festival, addressing themes of sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion.[12][13][14] Li regularly appears on BBC and Sky News commenting on themes of sexual abuse and violence.[15][16][17][18] Li has also had featured interviews in The Guardian, The Times, The Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Ms..[19][20][21][22][23] In 2018, Li received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland for her contribution to the arts in the advocacy of women's rights.[24]

Li's writings have appeared in a variety of magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, The Times, The Mail on Sunday, The Stylist, The Huffington Post and Grazia.[25][26][27][28][29]

Dark Chapter (2017)

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In 2017, Li published her debut novel Dark Chapter, a fictionalised account of the rape written from the perspective of both the victim and perpetrator. The book won The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize in 2017.[30] Dark Chapter was also nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel and shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award.[31] The book has been translated into ten languages.[32] Northern Ireland Screen awarded development funding for a feature film adaptation of Dark Chapter, with Li writing the screenplay.[33]

Complicit

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Li's second novel Complicit was inspired by the MeToo movement and the investigation into predators like Harvey Weinstein's in the film industry. She also drew upon her experience as a former film producer in writing the novel.[34] World rights to the book were sold in a 48-hour pre-empt to Orion Publishing Group, and US rights were contested in a five-way auction, with Emily Bestler at Atria Publishing Group ultimately winning.[35] Complicit was published in Summer 2022.[2][36][37] It was selected by The New York Times for their "Group Text" monthly book club.[38] It also earned positive reviews from The Guardian, The Times, The Irish Times, Daily Mail, and theBelfast Telegraph.[39][40][41][42] Li was interviewed by Mariella Frostrup at Times Radio, Ryan Tubridy at RTÉ Radio 1, and on the PBS TV show Story in the Public Square.[43][44][45] Complicit appeared on the "Best Crime Novels of 2022" list by The Irish Times and CrimeReads, and "Best Books of 2022" lists by Grazia and Glamour magazines.[46][47][48][49]

The audiobook version of Complicit was recorded by actor Katie Leung.[50]

Personal life

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Li has lived abroad for over two decades. She settled in Horningsham, Wiltshire[51] with her partner and their son (born 2020).[52]

References

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  1. ^ Li, Winnie M (September 2017). Dark Chapter (First ed.). New Jersey: Polis Books. p. 341. ISBN 9781943818624. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Complicit. 16 August 2022. ISBN 978-1-9821-9082-8.
  3. ^ "Phi Beta Kappa Members". Harvard University. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. ^ "I am Selected as a Mitchell Scholar, Now What?". US-Ireland Alliance. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Winnie M Li". London School of Economics. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ^ McCurry, Cate. "Tourist raped by teen during trip to Northern Ireland tells how she has made it her life's work to support other victims of sex crime". The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Woman attacked and raped in park". BBC. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. ^ "West Belfast Rape Vigil Held". 4NInews. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Young rapist is jailed for attack on US tourist". Belfast Telegraph. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Woman speaks about her rape ordeal in Colin Glen Forest Park in Belfast". BBC. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  11. ^ Li, Winnie. "Profile at the Huffington Post". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  12. ^ "HOME 2". ClearLines. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  13. ^ Brown, Sophie (9 July 2015). "London Festival Clear Lines Promising To Open Up Sexual Assault Debate Exceeds Crowdfunding Target". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  14. ^ Hussein, Sara (10 July 2015). "'You can't have a comedy about rape?' Lambeth Clear Lines Festival breaks the silence on sexual assault". SW Londoner. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Recovery After Rape". Four Thought. BBC. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  16. ^ "The Conversation". BBC World Service. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Woman's Hour". Woman's Hour. BBC. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  18. ^ Paterson, Niall (23 May 2019). "Divided". Sky News. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  19. ^ Tickle, Louise (31 July 2017). "'I fell between the cracks': author Winnie M Li on how rape survivors are failed by the system". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  20. ^ Li, Winnie (29 June 2017). "I was raped by a 15-year-old boy". The Times. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  21. ^ McKay, Susan (26 September 2015). "'Dark Chapter': my rape, regrowth and recovery". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  22. ^ Young, Lauren (17 April 2017). "Out of the Darkness: A Conversation with Winnie M. Li". The Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  23. ^ Nelson, Elizabeth (14 June 2018). "Dark Chapter: Why Winnie M. Li Wrote About Rape". Ms Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Press Release - NUI Honorary Conferring Ceremony 2018". National University of Ireland.
  25. ^ Li, Winnie. "Profile". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  26. ^ Li, Winnie. "I was raped by a 15-year-old boy". The Times. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  27. ^ Li, Winnie. "A message to everyone who dares to say women shouldn't travel alone". The Stylist. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  28. ^ Li, Winnie. "Profile at Huffington Post". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  29. ^ "I Googled My Rapist And Was Horrified By What I Found". Grazia. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Not the Booker prize 2017: Dark Chapter by Winnie M Li wins". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  31. ^ "Dark Chapter". Polis Books. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  32. ^ "Editions of Dark Chapter". Goodreads. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  33. ^ "SCREEN FUND AWARDS 2020-21" (PDF).
  34. ^ O'Shea |, Sinéad. "Winnie M. Li Will Not Be 'Complicit'". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Orion signs Winnie M Li in 48-hour pre-empt". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  36. ^ Complicit. 23 December 2021. ISBN 978-1-3987-0506-7.
  37. ^ "Winnie M Li's film industry thriller goes in five-way auction for North American rights". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  38. ^ "Group Text". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  39. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (27 June 2022). "Complicit by Winnie M Li review – bitterly convincing tale of abuse in the film industry". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  40. ^ Nicol, Patricia. "The best popular fiction books of 2022 so far". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  41. ^ "Crime fiction: The Island marks Adrian McKinty's return to lyrical prose". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  42. ^ "Complicit author Winnie M Li: 'There's an assumption in film that it's going to be men who have the skills and talent'". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  43. ^ Sexual abuse in the film industry | Winnie M Li, retrieved 15 April 2023
  44. ^ "Winnie M Li - Complicit". RTE Radio. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  45. ^ Story in the Public Square | Story in the Public Square 8/14/2022 | Season 12 | Episode 6 | PBS, retrieved 15 April 2023
  46. ^ "The best crime fiction of 2022, chosen by Declan Hughes and Declan Burke". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  47. ^ "The Best Crime Novels of the Year: 2022". CrimeReads. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  48. ^ "Grazia's Pick Of The Best Books Of 2022". Grazia. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  49. ^ "The 40 Best Books of 2022". Glamour. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  50. ^ "harry Potter star Katie Leung to read Orion audiobook of Li's film industry thriller". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  51. ^ "Our Writing Lives: with Libby Page, Winnie M Li & Frances Liardet". The River House. September 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  52. ^ Li, Winnie M (2 January 2020). "Belfast rape victim Winnie M Li on joy of first baby after fearing she would never be a mum". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
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