Henrietta Harrison

Henrietta Harrison

Henrietta Harrison (Henrietta Katherine Harrison) was born in 1967 and is currently 59 years old. Henrietta Harrison was born in London, England. Harrison attended Newnham College, Cambridge where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree, Harvard University where she received a Master of Arts degree and St Antony's College, Oxford where she received a DPhil degree.

Henrietta Harrison is an English historian, academic, and sinologist. Born in 1967 in London, she attended Paul’s Girls' School and later joined Newham College, Harvard University, and St. Antony’s College.

She is a professor of modern Chinese history at Harvard University, and most of her research is based on the social and cultural history of modern China. She has spent over a decade working mainly on the history of the poor in the inland province of Shanxi.

Harrison is a Fellow of the British Academy. Before her switch to Oxford, she was a lecturer in the University of Leeds department of East Asian studies.

In 2022, her book The Perils of Interpreting won the Kenshur Prize for the category of the best book in 18th-century studies. It was also shortlisted for the Cundill Prize and Wolfston History Prize in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Henrietta’s book The Man Awakened from Dreams is an exploration of Liu Daping’s story. The man who dedicated his entire life to Confucian morality and state service during the period of Confucianism’s collapse.

The author reconstructs Liu’s mental world by referencing the diaries the man kept throughout his entire life. She also compares his traditionalism with the rise of Chinese modernity.

However, Liu isn’t the main subject of the story as the little man behind an enormous painting. The real theme of the painting is the weight placed on traditional society as it is subjected to the modern world.

As Liu’s world is shredded to pieces, he caves back to his farm where he spends his days tilling land like a true Confucian.

Henrietta examines the Qing Empire, the Silk Road, the banking system, industrialization, the rise of opium and much more. It’s amazing to see how much she’s able to fit in this small book.

In The Perils of Interpreting, the author gives us a glimpse into the lives of two interpreters, George Thomas Staunton and Li Zibiao. She examines how their work helped influence the diplomatic relations between China and Britain.

While one of the book’s key focuses is to examine the role of translation and interpretation in cross-cultural understanding and political negotiations, Henrietta also delivers a well-researched and vivid depiction of these two key figures, from their childhood to their final days here on Earth. The author’s vivid storytelling helps bring these two historical figures to life.

Related Authors

Fans of Henrietta Harrison also enjoy these authors:

1. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
2. Charles Dickens, author of: A Christmas Carol.
3. Robin Hobb, author of the Farseer Series.
4. Jane Austen, author of: Pride and Prejudice.
5. Terry Pratchett, author of: Good Omens.

Henrietta Harrison: F.A.Q