{
  "id": 13135112,
  "title": "Mao’s Last Dancer Li Cunxin on his long-awaited follow-up: ‘I don’t think my publisher expected it to take 14 years!’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/maos-last-dancer-li-cunxin-on-his-long-awaited-follow-up-i-dont-think",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T14:00:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/oct/10/chinese-ballet-maos-last-dancer-li-cunxin-memoir-follow-up-14-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Li Cunxin, the celebrated Chinese Australian ballet dancer and former artistic director of Queensland Ballet, has revealed that his long-awaited follow-up to his 2003 memoir, Mao’s Last Dancer, took an unexpected 14 years to complete. Cunxin expressed his surprise at the delay, stating, \"I don’t think my publisher expected it to take 14 years!\" The renowned dancer had initially hoped to conclude his life story with his first memoir, but life had other plans. The follow-up was intended to delve into the lives of his brothers and friends in China, capturing the transformation of the country over time. However, Cunxin's career took a different turn when he was offered the opportunity to lead the Queensland Ballet, necessitating his full dedication to the role. This shift in priorities led to the significant delay in publishing his long-awaited sequel.",
  "summary": "As The Lucky Son picks up where Cunxin’s 2003 memoir left off, the renowned Chinese Australian ballet dancer reflects on sacrifices made by his wife, his years at a stockbroker, and his success leading the Queensland Ballet Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Some people live such extraordinary lives that a single autobiography simply won’t suffice. Li Cunxin has now written two. The…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}