On a quest following the descendants of Tang dynasty and Song Dynasty roses around the world, Shanghai-based author Chen Danyan will be in conversation with Marcus Chilton Jones to share her story of discovery. Following an accidental revelation dating the roses in a contemporary garden back to the Tang dynasty, Chen Danyan’s journey leads her to the UK to explore the RHS archive and talk to archivists about the myths and truths about the roses’ journey to Europe. To kickstart the discussion, Chen will read her short story ‘Yueyuefen – Old Blush’.

Chen Danyan is a prominent Shanghai writer best-known for her trilogy of biographical narratives: Shanghai Memorabilia, Shanghai Princess, and Shanghai Beauty. Her novel Nine Lives received the 1997 UNESCO Youth Literary Gold Prize for Tolerance.

Marcus Chilton-Jones is the first and current curator of RHS Bridgewater gardens, appointed in 2017 to oversee its horticultural evolution.