Confucius Institute Public Talks on China

20 Sep 2011

"Fu Manchu and the Construction of Oriental Villainy" on Wednesday 28 September 2011 (12.30 - 1.30pm) in The Kanaris Theatre, The Manchester Museum.

Come and join us for the first in this term’s series of the Confucius Institute Public Talks on China, now on the last Wednesday of every month at The Manchester Museum. To begin our programme this term, we are delighted to have Dr Jenny Clegg (UCLAN) speaking on the topic of Fu Manchu and the construction of Oriental villainy.

The fictional character of Dr Fu Manchu, epitomising the Oriental villain, was created by the popular author Sax Rohmer in the early years of the twentieth century at the height of the 'Yellow Peril' scare.

This talk will explore the background and highlight the images and themes which so caught the Western popular imagination on both sides of the Atlantic at the time, making the stories and films such a sensational success.

The question to be asked is: to what extent do such negative stereotypes remain alive in Western discourse today and with what effect?

Dr Jenny Clegg is Senior Lecturer in Asia Pacific Studies at the University of Central Lancashire