Lena Scheen’s book, Shanghai Literary Imaginings, explores the literary imaginings of the city, its past, present, and future, in order to understand the effects of fast urban transformation on both the psychological state of Shanghai’s citizens and their perception of the spaces they inhabit. How do contemporary local writers respond to Shanghai’s dazzling urban transformation?
Lena Scheen’s research explores the social and cultural impact of China’s fast urbanization, focusing on Shanghai. Prior to joining NYU Shanghai, she taught at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam. Her recent publications include Shanghai Literary Imaginings: A City in Transformation (Amsterdam University Press, 2015) and the co-edited volume (with Jeroen de Kloet) Spectacle and the City: Chinese Urbanities in Popular Culture and Art (AUP, 2013).
