Welcome to the Paper Republic March 2025 newsletter.

In this issue, we tell you about a new regular feature on the Paper Republic website; we have coverage of some special recent events; and we list a selection of free-to-read translations available online. Plus, there’s a shoutout to some prize-winning translators, and a link to a list of all the major prizes in China and their winners. Enjoy!

New on Paper Republic
We are delighted to welcome Andrew Rule’s Cold Window Newsletter to Paper Republic! This is a new monthly collaboration that will be appearing in the Paper Republic feed each month.

Read all about Chinese-language writing that hasn’t been translated yet, here.

Recent special events

The London Book Fair 2025

Liu Zhenyun at the London Book Fair: An Exercise in Monologuing – Megan Copeland
For many of our readers, 11-13 March brought the long-awaited London Book Fair, a chance for translators, publishers, authors and agents to exchange news and, hopefully, contracts. The Chinese contingent didn’t disappoint in terms of numbers with 50 different Chinese publishers represented and numerous book launches and signing ceremonies held across the week. However, the most anticipated appearance was that of popular author Liu Zhenyun, who took to the stage in a crowded room alongside our very own Nicky Harman, literary translator and Paper Republic co-founder, and Jenny Niven, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. With these heavyweights on stage, the audience was hoping for an interesting discussion on Chinese storytelling’s role on the world stage. What followed was more an exercise in monologuing as Liu Zhenyun reeled off a series of charming anecdotes, which almost all ended in the phrase “因为我写得很好 because I am an excellent writer”. In fact, the one to watch on stage was the impressive interpreter. Although her delivery of his jokes was rather deadpan. Liu Zhenyun did make one interesting point regarding the reception of his books among Western audiences. To paraphrase: one of the barriers that prevents a wider readership of Chinese fiction is the perception of Chinese storytelling. Walking round the Fair, one wonders whether more effort to bring the brightest and best representatives of Chinese storytelling and fewer tomes extolling Xi Jinping’s works may go a long way to help with that. Perhaps next time, we should hear more from Nicky, Jenny and the moderator Alicia Liu on that point!

For Liu Zhenyun’s interview with Publishing Perspectives at the Book Fair, see here.

In complete contrast: author Yang Hao appeared at the London Book Fair alongside her translators Nicky Harman and Michael Day. During their panel, a lively discussion ensued, about her newly translated novel Diablo's Boys. This is a linguistically innovative, thematically rich work on the bleeding edge of contemporary concerns such as gaming culture, youth culture, and rapidly transforming family relations. The discussion extended to Yang Hao's unique composition process, the challenges and pleasures of translating her work, the evolution of her art, her new collection The Long Slumber, the fantastic in literature, the evolution of Chinese literature in response to social transformations, and even the definition of literature and its meaning in 21st century information space.

International Women’s Day, in Leeds and online Writing Lives: from China in the 1930s to Britain in the 2020s. Celebrating International Women’s Day, Nicky Harman presented the life of Ling Shuhua (1900-1990), pioneering feminist short story writer; Yan Ge followed up with a creative writing workshop. The audience was enthusiastic and both sessions were fully booked. Michelle Deeter on LinkedIn: ‘At a brilliant event on International Women’s Day, Nicky Harman left us with a pearl of wisdom. She said that Chinese is implicit and so instead of words, body language is more likely to be used to demonstrate someone’s feelings. Still, a good work of writing will convey those feelings, even if obliquely. I was deeply impressed by her translation of ‘Boredom’. I could relate to the protagonist’s dislike of shopping and the way different emotions clashed in her at the same time. I want to read more short stories by Ling Shuhua!’

Nicky Harman’s presentation is online here.

The Launch of the Hsu-Tang Library, Oxford, UK.

A video of the event, with guest speakers, can be seen here.

Prizes

Awarded for work in English translation 2025 Newman Prize Winner: Ling Yu
Taiwanese poet Ling Yü 零⾬ (Wang Meiqin 王美琴) is the winner of the 2025 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature. The Newman Prize is awarded biennially by University of Oklahoma Institute for US-China Issues and recognizes outstanding achievement in prose or poetry that best captures the human condition, based solely on literary merit. This year's award ceremony took place Friday 28th March. A discussion the day before on Panel Discussion, Newman Prize for Chinese Literature, Celebrating the Work of the 2025 Laureate Ling Yu can be viewed here, and the ceremony can be viewed here .

Yilin Wang has won the 2024 John Glassco Translation Prize, for The Lantern and the Night Moths (Invisible Publishing), translations of selected works of five Chinese poets.

Jeremy Tiang has won the Obie Prize for Outstanding New Play, with Salesman之死, written and performed in both English and Chinese.

Prizes awarded for work in Chinese

From Tony Hao, here is a comprehensive list of prizes and prize-winners in the Sinophone literary world, 2024, and 2023.

Free to Read, prose, poems and blogs

Chenxin Jiang, the President of ALTA, has been working on Yau Ching, and her translations can be read here: Another Chicago Magazine, October 2024 Arkansas International, issue 16 World Literature Today Interview with Steve Bradbury and Chenxin on Asymptote.

Dong Li has some translations of poems by YE Hui（叶辉) available to read online here. His collection The Ruins is due out with Deep Vellum later this year.

Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor and Kuo Zhang have been translating Nianxi Chen’s poems and they can be read here, here and here.

And finally: On Being Mentored by a Chinese Woman Writer Who Lived a Thousand Years Ago Wendy Chen Considers What Translating Li Qingzhao Taught Her About Her Own Work

Call for fiction, non-fiction and poems

“Grown-up Baby” by 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, a Hong Kong-based bilingual (Chinese and English) print publication, invites poets and translators worldwide to submit works for an upcoming English-language section themed Grown-up Baby. We welcome diverse and imaginative interpretations of this theme. Guidelines here. Closing date for submissions: 5 April 2025.

Spittoon Literary Magazine is a publication of contemporary literature, seeking to publish ‘the most curious, original, and boundary-defying voices of the Chinese language’ in translation. Please see the link above to find out more about how they work, and if you have something to contribute.

And that's it for this month. See you next time!