May Read: Babel by RF Kuang

Our May discussion will be Babel by RF Kuang
*Due to the discussion around Yellowface, the group has decided to read another book by RF Kuang as a type of compare and contrast!

”1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation―also known as Babel.
Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. The unique magic system of silver working―the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars―has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, a secret society dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…”

We will be meeting at The Thirsty Scholar on May 26, 2026 at 7:00 pm to discuss Babel. I will have a loose outline of some discussion points to get us started, but nothing too formal. Hope to see you there. The Thirsty Scholar is a pub, so food and drink are available and at your own cost.