Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writers Series will present Ken Liu on Thursday, October 25, at 7pm in P.E. Monroe Auditorium. This event will be held in partnership with the Catawba Science Center.

Liu, the English name of Liu Yukun, is the author of three novels and one collection of short stories, as well as a translator of several Chinese works. He immigrated to the United States as a child, and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Liu’s most recent published work is an official Star Wars novel called “The Legends of Luke Skywalker,” a collection of myths and tall-tales about the legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker. Liu’s fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Asimov’s, Analog, Clarkesworld, and Lightspeed. His debut book titled “The Grace of Kings,” was published in 2015 and won the Locus Best First Novel Award. It was also a Nebula finalist. Liu was the editor of “Invisible Planets,” which is the first collection of contemporary Chinese science fiction translated into English. His translation of “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first translated novel to ever receive the honor. Liu’s 2010 short story “The Paper Menagerie” won the prestigious Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Most recently, the film production companies, Silverstein and AMC have optioned Liu’s work.

Nov. 8, 2018, Matthias Göritz and Aaron Coleman. P.E. Monroe Auditorium, 7pm.

Nov. 15, 2018, Juan Felipe Herrera. Grace Chapel, 7pm.

Jan. 21, 2019, Joshua Bennett – Martin Luther King Day speaker. P.E. Monroe Auditorium, 10am, Belk Centrum, 7pm.

Feb. 7, 2019, Armistead Maupin. P.E. Monroe, 7pm.

Feb. 28, 2019, Anne-Marie Fyfe & Cahal Dallat – Writers in Residence. Belk Centrum, 7 pm.

March 7, 2019, Louise Penny. P.E. Monroe Auditorium, 7pm.

March 21, 2019, Kao Kalia Yang. Belk Centrum, 7pm.

April 4 & 6, 2019, Naomi Shihab Nye – The Little Read author. Thursday, April 4, 7pm, Belk Centrum. Saturday, April 6, 12pm, P.E. Monroe Auditorium.

LR’s VWS is supported by the United Arts Council of Catawba County through the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The VWS is also supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Sponsors of the 2018-19 VWS include: Barnes & Noble, NC Arts Council, United Arts Council of Catawba County, National Endowment for the Arts, Hickory Hop, Crowne Plaza, Cafe Rule, Hickory Public Library, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and Robert Abbey Fine Lighting. To learn more about the VWS visit lr.edu/VWS.

Ken Liu