Paris Calling

Lu Min, Nanjing — Chinese Fiction & Universal Truths

Lu Min is an award-winning Chinese novelist, best known for such works as Dinner for Six, This Love Could Not Be Delivered and The Man Who Could Not Die, which have been translated into a dozen languages, bringing her perceptive eye and an authentic Chinese perspective to readers around the world. Born in the countryside of Jiangsu Province, she cycled through jobs as a post office clerk, journalist, accountant, and secretary from the age of 17, only later realizing — through quiet moments spent observing the lives of others—that writing was her true calling. Speaking with Paris Calling from the eastern city of Nanjing that she now calls hom, Lu traces how her writing journey has unfolded alongside China’s modernization since the 1970s, and explores what the “impossibility of dying” means in today’s rapidly evolving AI era. This is Paris Calling [https://open.spotify.com/show/6s9tkK7KFM20Ii9Rv5ZBaU?si=56c4c03b3f0f4484&nd=1&dlsi=9f3dfaf0d44e4a97], where each week we encounter a notable person from somewhere around the world. We are breaking new ground by bringing non-English interviews into English with the use of Al tools that allow us to translate our guest’s words, without changing their voice. Founded in 2011, Worldcrunch [www.worldcrunch.com] is a pioneering global news outlet that brings the world’s best reporting into English. We deliver a truly international view on the news by working with the best media outlets to select, translate and adapt the stories that matter for a worldwide audience.

Alia Ibrahim, Beirut — Curious Journalists & Arab Independence

Alia Ibrahim [https://www.instagram.com/aliaibrahim74/] is a leading Lebanese journalist and media innovator, known for her work at The Daily Star, The Washington Post, and Al Arabiya, and as the co-founder and CEO of Daraj Media [https://daraj.media/en/], an award-winning independent Arabic news platform recognized for its investigative reporting and regional impact. A pioneer in the region, she is among the rare female reporters to have covered from the frontlines across the Middle East, navigating conflict, censorship, and the responsibility of representing her community in global media. For Ibrahim, journalism is a way of life shaped by curiosity, courage, and a relentless pursuit of truth — rooted in Beirut, a city she describes as chaotic, fragile, and endlessly alive, and the only place where an independent Arab newsroom like Daraj could have taken shape. Speaking with Paris Calling, Ibrahim reflects on reporting Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction, covering the 2006 conflict as a young mother, and confronting the editorial red lines that ultimately led her to co-found Daraj. She discusses the access women journalists often have to hidden stories, the realities of reporting under fire, and why freedom — of the press, of ideas, of spirit — remains at the heart of Beirut’s identity. This is Paris Calling, where each week we encounter a notable person from somewhere around the world. We are breaking new ground by bringing non-English interviews into English with the use of AI tools that allow us to translate our guest’s words, without changing their voice. Founded in 2011, Worldcrunch [https://worldcrunch.com/]  is a pioneering global news outlet that brings the world’s best reporting into English. We deliver a truly international view on the news by working with the best media outlets to select, translate and adapt the stories that matter for a worldwide audience.

Gaspard Koenig, Paris — Freedom & Enlightenment Farming

Gaspard Koenig [https://www.gaspardkoenig.com/] is one of France’s most original public intellectuals — a philosopher, novelist, founder of the GenerationLibre think tank, and even a one-time presidential candidate. When he isn’t writing or debating ideas, Koenig can often be found tending to his garden and horses on a small farm in Normandy, exploring what he calls his “down-to-earth era.” For him, the countryside is not a retreat but a way to reflect on how humans truly connect with their environment. Speaking with Paris Calling, Koenig delves into the distinction between land and soil, his journey from a months-long horseback expedition retracing Montaigne’s path to his novel Humus, and his lifelong search for the deeper meanings of liberty — rooted in responsibility, interdependence, and a sense of belonging to both nature and society. This is Paris Calling, where each week we encounter a notable person from somewhere around the world. We are breaking new ground by bringing non-English interviews into English with the use of AI tools that allow us to translate our guest’s words, without changing their voice. Founded in 2011, Worldcrunch [https://worldcrunch.com/] is a pioneering global news outlet that brings the world’s best reporting into English. We deliver a truly international view on the news by working with the best media outlets to select, translate and adapt the stories that matter for a worldwide audience.

Shi Yang Shi, Milan — Acting & Identity

Shi Yang Shi [https://www.instagram.com/shiyangshi_actor/?hl=en] is a Chinese-Italian actor, translator, and author, best known for his roles in Italian films and television, including Go Go Tales, Tradita, and Enea, as well as his appearances on the satirical TV show Le Iene. Born in Ji'nan, China, and raised in Italy from the age of 11, he has become a familiar face on Italian screens while carving out a career that bridges cultures and languages. Yang talks to Paris Calling about his journey from a privileged childhood in China to years of struggle as an immigrant in Italy before acting became both a refuge and a form of self-discovery. Speaking from Milan, he reflects on identity, sexuality and belonging, and on how his life between two countries continues to shape his art and beliefs. His English voice is produced with the help of AI voice-matching technology. This is Paris Calling, where each week we encounter a notable person from somewhere around the world. We are breaking new ground by bringing non-English interviews into English with the use of AI tools that allow us to translate our guest’s words, without changing their voice.  Founded in 2011, Worldcrunch  is a pioneering global news outlet that brings the world’s best reporting into English. We deliver a truly international view on the news by working with the best media outlets to select, translate and adapt the stories that matter for a worldwide audience.

Diariata N’Diaye, Nantes — Slam Poetry & Sexual Violence

Diariata N’Diaye [https://www.instagram.com/diariatandiaye] is a French slam poet and activist who has become one of France’s leading figures in the battle against sexism and sexual violence. Speaking with Paris Calling, the self-described “artivist” retraces how her dual French-Senegalese upbringing shaped her personality, including a forced marriage in Senegal, which prompted her to start writing her first songs that were private expressions of what she couldn’t say to anyone else. N’Diaye later emerged as a powerful slam poet, and went on to found Résonantes [https://association.resonantes.fr/], an association raising awareness among young people about sexual violence. She is convinced that the battle must begin by defining precisely what violence is, and educating young people on what they do and don’t have the right to do, and what should never be tolerated. This is Paris Calling, where each week we encounter a notable person from somewhere around the world. We are breaking new ground by bringing non-English interviews into English with the use of AI tools that allow us to translate our guest’s words, without changing their voice.  Founded in 2011, Worldcrunch [www.worldcrunch.com] is a pioneering global news outlet that brings the world’s best reporting into English. We deliver a truly international view on the news by working with the best media outlets to select, translate and adapt the stories that matter for a worldwide audience.