Want insight into how to sell those translations of yours? Attend "Connections through Culture: China-UK Forum on Marketing Literature in Translation" in Shanghai Jan 12-14.
Speakers/topics: Random House's Roger Brachell, on how to market lit to UK publishers, with a look at case studies such as Haruki Murakami's work; Jo Lusby, revealing how Wolf Totem was handled by Penguin; and Yi Xiao-Qiang, a spokesperson for China Youth Publishing Group, explaining how it markets itself in the UK.
Representatives from People's Literature Publishing House, Yilin Publishing House and China Book Publishing Report -- and several other publishers -- will also be there.
For info on how to register (no charge to attend, as I understand it), contact Li Ji-Hong, China Literary Consultant (and translator of "The Kite Runner" into Chinese): lijihong@hotmail.com
By Bruce Humes, December 24, 2:40a.m.
This morning was the press conference for the Dangdai literary magazine's fifth annual best novel award. Dangdai, which is run by the People's Literature Publishing House, is trying to turn this prize into a bit of a challenge to the hegemony of the bigger prizes administered by the Writers Association: the editor of Dangdai, Yang Xinlan, specifically touted this prize as the non-governmental answer to the Mao Dun prize.
Every literary prize and its brother is touting "transparency" and "fairness" these days, but the Dangdai prize might get a little closer to that goal than most: there is no cash for the winner, reducing some of the incentive for backdoor dealing, and to hear Yang talk, the judges were left unmolested during the nomination process. She even described them as being slightly taken aback when the magazine had no "directives" or even gentle hints as to which direction they should cast their votes — if this is true, it speaks as well for the Dangdai prize as it does poorly for the other prizes.
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By Eric Abrahamsen, December 24, 2:28a.m.
According to Yu Hua, a professor of Chinese once ran his book 许三观卖血记 (translated as Chronicle of a Blood Merchant) through the data cruncher, and calculated the number of different characters Yu Hua had used in writing the book. The grand total was 486. Is that even possible?
Update: I asked Yu Hua for more details, he went digging, and it turns out this was quite wrong. The actual numbers are 1,909 characters for Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, and 1,907 characters in To Live. Far more than 486 characters; still far, far less than you'd expect for two of the more influential novels of the past couple decades.
By Eric Abrahamsen, December 22, 7:01p.m.
You readers and lovers of Chinese novels, may we ask your assistance? We're putting together a few lists of books which have not yet been translated into English, but ought to be: from the inexplicably passed-over classics of modern Chinese literature to last year's sleeper hit. What gold has yet to be claimed, either deep-buried, or lying on the sidewalk where anyone could pick it up? We're also counting books that have been translated, but translated poorly, so yes – Fortress Besieged counts.
If you're a translator sitting on the book proposal that's going to make your career, we can sympathize if you keep mum, but we hope the rest of you will cut loose.
I'll start: Jia Pingwa's 废都 (Abandoned Capital). Why the hell is this not in English yet?
By Eric Abrahamsen, December 11, 3:48p.m.
The Chinalyst Best China Blogs contest is open (actually, it's been open for a while) and PR is now in the running! We got a late start, but I'm absolutely confident that with a little publicity we can pull into at least second or third in our category (General).
Here's the link to our category. Go vote!
By Canaan Morse, December 4, 2:43p.m.
Yan Lianke’s latest novel – a satirical take on the less-than-honourable behaviour of Beida and Tsinghua University professors – aroused a storm of protest from some of them. So I was looking forward to this week’s post-graduate seminar in the Beida Chinese Department, where Elegy and Academe was due to be discussed.
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By Nicky Harman, December 4, 5:02a.m.
Feng Tang is talking at the One Way Street Bookstore this Sunday (Dec 7) from 3pm to 5pm, details here.
By Eric Abrahamsen, December 1, 7:31a.m.
New Comments
on Open letter by Liao Yiwu (in Chinese and English)
Thanks for reposting this. ;) Wish that I could get our site to stop displaying the revision ID, as if I make any changes to the translation, they wouldn't show if others were to click this link.
posted by Lina
Just to mention that a collection of his poems "Poetry in jail" has been translated in French by Sun Shanshan and Anne-Marie Jeanjean and published by Editions l'Harmattan in february 2008; included is the famous "Great Massacre".
posted by Bertrand Mialaret
on Man Asia Literary Prize: 2008 Long List
I went to the Murong book talk tonight in Beijing and enjoyed him speaking.
I can see you now know his name but his translator and publisher was there on stage to facilitate the bi-lingual conversation. He formed the publishing ...
posted by Helen
on Quotes: Highlighting "local color" or "Chinglish"?
Eric wins it.
posted by Brendan
Avoiding a literal translation and opting for something along the lines of "Wuhan is not acting like a good partner" would preserve the meaning and sound more natural.
posted by Tommy Saxondale
Going to second Brendan in this one -- Eric is definitely the winner.
posted by Lina