Novelist Yan Lianke paints a tragic picture of the Chinese dream.

Yan Lianke is one of the most important contemporary novelists, for sure a potential candidate for the Nobel prize. Nine of his books have been published in France by Les Editions Philippe Picquier. More English translations have been released with Carlos Rojas, a professor at Duke University, who has translated five of his novels. In just a few months, “The Day the Sun Died” (1) has received flattering feedback from all over the world.

This … Lire la suite

The letters of Xue Yiwei to Dr. Bethune, the most admired foreigner in China.

Xue YiweiXue Yiwei is a Chinese writer, living in Montreal for sixteen years, author of four novels, five collections of short stories and numerous essays. He is famous in China and begins to be read in the West where two collections of short stories have been translated into English as well as his novel “Dr. Bethune’s children” (3).

He spent his youth in Changsha in Hunan, studied at Guangzhou University and lived in … Lire la suite

The novelist Jia Pingwa and “Happy Dreams”, happy as a scavenger in China.

Jia PingwaA good novel by Jia Pingwa has just been translated. A real event, “Happy Dreams” is one of his most recognized novels and tells us about the “happy” life of two garbage collectors during the year 2000 in the great metropolis of Xian.

 

-A Jia Pingwa lobby:

 

He is one of the most celebrated writers in China, although he is less read by the younger generation. Abroad, very few translations; two … Lire la suite

The story of Singapore revisited (2) with talent as a graphic novel by Sonny Liew.

Charlie ChanGraphic novels are a very important activity for the publishing industry in France, more than in other countries. I’m not a great reader, but I was stunned by the 320 pages of ” The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye ” (1) by Sonny Liew from Singapore, published by Epigram in 2015 and by Pantheon Books (1) in the United States in 2016. This book won three Eisner Awards in 2017, the “Nobel” prizes for … Lire la suite

Should we create museums of literature?

National museum of Taiwanese literatureA museum of literature is an institution specialized in literature considered as cultural heritage. The idea is to promote knowledge about literature and its role in society. There are many museums around the world concerning writers, particularly in the United States and France but very few museums of literature. I had been interested a few years ago by that of Beijing, I just discovered the museum of Taiwan in Tainan, the ancient capital of the … Lire la suite

Yu Hua: deaths without burial, Chinese version.

Yu Hua sam_0547The Chinese writer Yu Hua, well known abroad with international hits such as “To Live” or “Brothers” is back in Paris for the launch of his latest novel “The Seventh Day”.

Seven years have passed since the release in China of “Brothers”, a period during which Yu Hua mostly wrote articles and essays including a remarkable collection that we mentioned in 2010, “China in Ten Words”.

He kindly answered once more our questions with the … Lire la suite

Reading Chinese novels in the West.

The Macau Ricci Institute asked me a few months ago to prepare an article on contemporary Chinese literature and the West. This text has been published in English and Chinese in the April issue of the journal “Chinese Cross Currents.” This magazine has posted the article which was written after a dozen interviews with editors and translators in England, France and the United States.

We will give a quick summary and hope for exchange of … Lire la suite