Love in the Time of Tech: Elaine Castillo & John Lau
Presented with ESEA Lit Fest, writer Elaine Castillo and video game producer John Lau speak to Rebecca Liu about the future of love in an age of disconnection.
Can love blossom in the treacherous world of online moderation? Join us for this exclusive London appearance with Elaine Castillo – her first London event since 2018 – and video game designer and producer John Lau for a discussion on virtual reality and world-building in fiction and games.
Hailed as ‘one of the planet’s most exciting young people’ by the Financial Times, Castillo is the highly acclaimed author of the novel America is Not the Heart and the essay collection How to Read Now. John Lau is Lead Producer at ustwo games, the South London-based studio behind the smash hit Monument Valley games, which are now available on Netflix.
They are in conversation with Rebecca Liu about Castillo’s latest novel, Moderation, an unlikely romcom set in the world of social media moderation and VR theme parks. Expect a bold, witty exploration of real romance in the virtual workplace.
Rebecca Liu is a writer and editor based in London. She is a commissioning editor at the Guardian Saturday magazine, and also writes about arts and culture for the paper. Her essays and reviews have also appeared in Another Gaze film journal, Sight and Sound magazine, and ArtReview magazine.
Supported by Paper Literary, ESEA Lit Fest is a joyful, thought-provoking celebration of East and South East Asian literature and culture that’s open to all. It was launched in 2023 to sell-out success by Maria Garbutt-Lucero and Joanna Lee, co-founders of the ESEA Publishing Network, in partnership with Foyles.
Presented in association with ESEA Lit Fest, and supported by Paper Literary.
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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