Looking Back: Talk at 21

At two decades and counting, Shanghai Talk reigns as the longest continuously running English language magazine in China. Originally named Welcome To Shanghai, the magazine was founded in partnership with the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration in November 1990, back in the days when locals referred to Pudong as ‘The Dark Side’. As the city’s expat population evolved from short-term residents and visitors to long-stay guests, the magazine changed focus and names. In 1994, Shanghai Talk was born, covering the opening of the first McDonald’s in town in its inaugural issue. Throughout its history, Talk has seen it all, chronicling and creating the expat and local lifestyle trends to become the authority on Shanghai life. To celebrate Talk’s 21st birthday, some of the magazine’s former editors look back on their favourite issues, articles and interviews.

Shamus Siller arrived at Shanghai Talk as a managing editor in December 2003 and departed in January 2008, a few short weeks after Haibao was unveiled as the Expo mascot. “Not that I’m saying the two events were necessarily related. Although they may have been,” he says.

“Hard to go past my face-to-face interview with Giorgio Armani, except the bit where I tried to wow him with less-than-perfect Italian. (Instead of saying ‘I lived for a year in Sicily’, I screwed up the crucial word and it came out as ‘I wore clothes for a year in Sicily’.) “

Lee Mack served as managing editor of Shanghai Talk from October 2000 to October 2001, during which time he launched Pudong Talk, “a little supplement way ahead of its time” when the eastern shore of the river was just starting to grow.

“My favourite story was the ‘Shanghai 2151 AD’ cover story that tried to get a picture of what Shanghai would be like in 50 years time. While I failed to predict the Expo, I did predict there would be foreigners driving cabs. The best part of the story though was the series of illustrations which accompanied it (and graced the cover). Imagine Blade Runner meets bubble gum.”

Sam Gaskin worked at Talk from February 2008 to April 2010 as an executive editor. Currently, he brings his personal brand of wit and charm to Timeout Shanghai as an associate editor.

“The most nerve-wracking [interview] was Kylie Minogue. I was allotted just 15 minutes for the interview, which took place late at night, as she was in London. When I made the phone call, I discovered the phone I had wasn't set up to make international calls. Fortunately, she called me and was a surprisingly game interviewee. The change to the glossy cover for the Kylie issue was another big moment for the mag.”

The managing editor of Talk from February 2008 – February 2011, Casey Hall saw the magazine through groundbreaking events, like the 2010 Shanghai Expo and 60th Anniversary of the CCP. Hall continues to write for Talk as a freelancer and also works for Women’s Wear Daily.

“On a media trip to Jiuzhaigou National Park in 2008 (which was spectacular in itself) I experienced one of the aftershocks of that year's massive Sichuan earthquake. The first text messages I received to check that I was okay weren't from my husband (boyfriend at that time) but actually came from my executive editors, Sam Gaskin and Natalee Blagden.”

Carl Lorimer started as an executive editor for Shanghai Talk in April 2010, working his way up the editorial ladder to co-managing editor in February 2011.

“Interviewing Sidney Rittenberg and his wife was an honour. They spent nearly three hours regaling me with fascinating stories from their lives in China spanning from Liberation to shortly after Mao's death. Mr Rittenberg's experience with China is unrivaled by any other westerner, and his insight into the country's future is invaluable.”

Starting as a freelancer, then working her way up to executive editor, Natalee Blagden worked for Talk from November 2007 to July 2009. Now she “makes ideas for a living” back in Canada.

“My brazen disregard for health or ethics led me to some truly amazing places, like tops of mountains, backstage discussions at outdoor music festivals, half-demolished buildings where young fashion designers stitched by day, wondering if their office would tumble at night, just rubble and a surprise eviction notice left the next morning, should a contractor or landlord finally move to the next phase of ongoing, unpredictable construction.”

April Fong served as an executive editor of Shanghai Talk from September 2009 – April 2010. Now she works as a freelance journalist for several publications.

“My favorite story was a feature article in my very first Talk issue, ‘China's Funny Business’ [about Chinese comedians]. What I also loved about this story is that we showed a side of China that many Westerners aren't familiar with; one that is culturally dynamic and much freer than portrayals of this country as a place of strict censorship.”

Ian Ransom started as a freelancer for Beijing Talk in 2003, before taking up the mantle of managing editor of the capital-based publication from May 2004 - March 2006. Now he’s the sports correspondent for Thomson Reuters in Australia and New Zealand.

“I was thrilled to be among the first-hand witnesses of US skateboarding legend Danny Way’s leap over a watchtower of the Great Wall in July 2005. We gasped as he ‘dropped in’ on this ramp that appeared to be about 100 metres high, burned down to the bottom, leaped over the watchtower then launched himself about 20 metres into the air at the end of the half-pipe on the other side before slamming back onto the bottom of the ramp.”

Elliot Brenchley was the Executive Editor of South China Talk from January 2010 to March 2011. Now the brand curator of Orient, he has returned to his native Canada.

“[I liked] the cover we did on the impending death of the Cantonese 'language' just as mass protests made news in old Guangzhou ahead of the Asian Games. The city was forced to discuss its often-neglected Cantonese identity. The cover has a nice retro feel.”

For almost a decade, mystery man Rupert Pupkin has functioned as resident satirist and Talk’s opinion columnist. Although he claims to hate everything he’s ever written, the illustrious wordsmith still manages to come up with fresh ideas every month. And he’s never missed a deadline.

“One of the interesting things about being a person who writes in China is learning how to say things indirectly. It is like a puzzle that needs solving. Sometimes ideas present themselves; sometimes they need coaxing. Life offers up ideas all the time; the goal is to spot them, then tease them out. They develop, expand, extrapolate, digress, sculpt, destroy, rebuild. The process of turning an idea into a 700 word essay. Really quite simple. Ha.”