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Portrait of Catherine Aird Photo: Photo by Chris Capstick/REX (52818b) / TT

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Aird, Catherine

Catherine Aird is the pen name of the British crime writer Kinn Hamilton McIntosh. She was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, where she attended school, although she was absent for long periods due to a serious medical condition that affected her kidneys. Her father, a physician, made sure she was given the best medical care, and she later recovered. McIntosh was bed-ridden for much of her...

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Portrait of Qiu Xiaolong Photo: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images (2014)

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Qiu Xiaolong

Qiu Xiaolong is a Chinese author, poet, translator and scholar. He was born in Shanghai and grew up in post-revolution China. During the Cultural Revolution, when students were forced into the countryside to "learn from the peasants", Qiu remained in the city as he was often bedridden due to a respiratory problem. With nothing to do during long, tedious days he began to practice tai chi in the...

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