Peter Zarrow
Historian and translator of modern Chinese texts, translator of the 2023 Penguin Classics volume of Liang Qichao's essays and a scholar of Chinese intellectual and political history.
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Dec 13, 2025 • 1h 4min
Liang Qichao, "Thoughts from the Ice-Drinker’s Studio: Essays on China and the World" (Penguin Classics, 2023)
Historian Peter Zarrow, a translator of modern Chinese texts, discusses his new translation of Liang Qichao's influential essays. He highlights Liang's evolution from political awakening in the Qing dynasty to his ideas on citizenship, democracy, and women's rights during China's modernization. Zarrow reveals Liang's unique perspectives formed during his exile in Japan and addresses the challenges of translating his complex references. The conversation also touches on Liang's enduring impact on anti-imperialism and civic identity in contemporary China.
Dec 13, 2025 • 1h 4min
Liang Qichao, "Thoughts from the Ice-Drinker’s Studio: Essays on China and the World" (Penguin Classics, 2023)
Peter Zarrow, a historian and translator specializing in modern Chinese intellectual history, discusses his latest work translating Liang Qichao’s influential essays. He reveals how Liang navigated pivotal changes in early China, expressing complex ideas on citizenship, democracy, and national identity. Zarrow highlights Liang's transformative experiences during exile in Japan and his evolving views on modernity and social order, emphasizing the lasting relevance of Liang's thoughts on freedom and reform in today's context.
