On August 17th, young American writer Evan Kail appeared at the 2025 Southern China Book Fair with his new book "Through the Storm" and held a meeting with readers.

 This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the world's Anti-Fascist War. Within this broader context, Evan Kail's act of donating the WWII photo album takes on exceptional significance. In an interview with a reporter from Yangcheng Evening News, Evan Kail shared the emotional journey behind donating the photo album to China and writing his new book.

"I want to convey to readers through my new book the importance of preserving and cherishing history," said Evan Kail. "The book titled 'Through the Storm' reflects my determination to do what is right. From the moment I obtained that photo album documenting the crimes committed by the Japanese invaders during WWII, I knew it should belong to a museum, to everyone, not just to me. As an American citizen, donating such an album to China is a daring act for me. The U.S. government tried to persuade me not to do it. I also faced cyberbullying and threats; some people even broke into my apartment to intimidate me. But I still brought the album to China, because it was the right thing to do. I did this, and I hope others will dare to do the same."

In "Through the Storm," Evan Kail recounts how he acquired the WWII photo album, donated photographic evidence of Japanese wartime atrocities, and visited many places across China. He uncovers numerous untold stories along the way. This is Evan Kail's first written work that confronts that darkest period with honesty, conveying his resolve to defend the truth and his hope for peace.

埃文·凯尔亮相南国书香节：捐赠二战相册是一个冒险的举动，新书《敢为》传递珍视历史的理念

8月17日，美国青年作家埃文·凯尔携带新书《敢为》亮相2025南国书香节，并举办读者见面会。今年是中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年，在这个大背景下，埃文·凯尔捐赠二战相册的举动显得意义非凡。在接受羊城晚报记者采访时，埃文·凯尔讲述了他向中国捐赠二战相册与创作新书的心路历程。

“我想通过新书传达给读者保存历史、珍视历史的重要性。”埃文·凯尔说：“这本书的中文名叫《敢为》，因为我敢于做正确的事。自从我得到了那本记录二战时期侵华日军罪行的相册，我就知道这本相册应该属于博物馆，属于所有人，而不是我个人。作为一个美国公民，把这样一本相册捐赠给中国是一个冒险的举动。美国政府曾试图说服我不要这样做，我也遭到过一些势力的网暴、恐吓，甚至有人闯到我的公寓威胁我。但我还是把相册带到了中国，因为这是正确的事情。我这样做，也希望其他人敢于这样做。”

埃文·凯尔在《敢为》一书中记录了他获得二战相册、捐出日军罪证、在中国各地参观走访等内容，揭开了很多不为人知的故事。这是埃文·凯尔首次以文字真实、直面那段至暗时刻，向世人传达捍卫真相的决心以及对和平的美好期待。

文 | 记者 刘泳希 赵鹏
图 | 主办方供图
译丨郑奕玲
英文审校丨赵凡