News

Tour dates, public lectures and other news

A Date for Your Diary: SOAS lecture January 25th

SOAS University of London

Illustrated talk: The Ooku, the Shogun’s ‘Harem’: Life in the Women’s Palace in Nineteenth Century Japan

In 1854 Atsu, an 18-year-old girl, was chosen to become the shogun’s consort and rule over the ooku, the shogun’s harem or Women’s Palace.[…]

The Butterfly Effect: Radio 4 programme on the story behind Madame Butterfly

The Butterfly Effect – BBC Radio 4 Soprano Amanda Roocroft explores the impact of Madame Butterfly in performance and popular culture. […] Author and Japanese expert Lesley Downer and opera enthusiast Rod Wood provide details of the origins of her tragic story and present fascinating insights into the life and work of Puccini. […] First … Read more

Japanese at Heart: article about Lesley in the Malaysian Star

A British author unveils the wonders of writing about the Japanese, and how she has fallen in love with a culture not her own. HER first novel tells of the forbidden love between the Japanese shogun’s last concubine and a rebel warrior. Her second takes place in the exotic pleasure quarters of Japan, where a … Read more

Across a Bridge of Dreams – updated lecture dates October 2012

Forthcoming lectures: Wednesday October 17th 7.00 pm (tickets on sale at the door from 6.30) Royal Overseas League, Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR tel 0207 408 0214 ext 324 or email culture@rosl.org.uk Website: Royal Over-Seas League Illustrated talk: The New Japan and the Last Samurai *** Friday October 26th 7.00 … Read more

Across a Bridge of Dreams – updated lecture dates 2012

Forthcoming lectures: Saturday September 29th 2.00pm Japan Society North West, The Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BT www.JSNW.org.uk Illustrated talk: The New Japan and the Last Samurai *** Monday October 8th 6.30pm Gateshead Japan Festival Gateshead Central Library tickets £5 from gateshead.gov.uk Illustrated talk: Japan: Geishas and Courtesans *** Thursday October 11th … Read more

Focus on Lesley Downer on Historytellers website

Lesley Downer on Across a Bridge of Dreams August 1, 2012 I’ve always wanted to do a Japanese Romeo and Juliet and the story behind the film The Last Samurai (starring Tom Cruise) fitted perfectly. In my last two novels, The Last Concubine and The Courtesan and the Samurai, I wrote about the civil war … Read more

Across a Bridge of Dreams – more lecture dates 2012

Forthcoming lectures: Saturday September 29th 2.00pm Japan Society North West, The Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BT www.JSNW.org.uk Illustrated talk: The New Japan and the Last Samurai *** Monday October 8th 6.30pm Gateshead Japan Festival Gateshead Central Library tickets £5 from gateshead.gov.uk Illustrated talk: Japan: Geishas and Courtesans *** Thursday October 11th … Read more

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