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Portrait of Elmore Leonard Photo: Dermot Cleary

Sample of authors

Leonard, Elmore

The American author Elmore John Leonard, Jr. was born in New Orleans, but because his father worked for the automobile industry, the family often moved homes. They lived in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis before finally settling in Detroit in 1934. Leonard graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1943, after which he did his military service in the Navy and was sent to...

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

Sample of authors

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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