Quote by Madeleine Thien: “Music is the language of what cannot be said.”

This quote beautifully captures the expressive power of music, suggesting it communicates emotions and truths that words often fail to convey. It elevates music to a profound form of human expression, transcending linguistic barriers.

This novel, set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, often uses music as a central theme, exploring how art can preserve memory and resistance in oppressive regimes.

Canadian novelist of Malaysian-Chinese descent whose novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 and won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her work traces political trauma across generations through music, memory, and displacement.