Political theorists in the early 20th century coined the term “state of exception” for an authoritarian state’s use of crises to normalize extraordinary extralegal measures — and keep them in effect indefinitely. In China, Mr. Xi first put Xinjiang in a state of exception, and more recently has used Covid-19 as justification to do the … Continue reading Quote of the Week: Xi Jinping’s Eternal “State of exception”
“Backstreets,” the Novel: The Brutal Life of a Uyghur Man in Xinjiang’s Ürümchi
In Xinjiang Has Produced Its James Joyce, Ed Park reviews the first contemporary Uyghur-language novel to appear in English translation, by an author --- Perhat Tursun (پەرھات تۇرسۇن) --- now languishing in the Xinjiang Gulag: If his [the protagonist's] rural Uyghur upbringing was harsh, his life as a Uyghur man in Ürümchi can be downright brutal. Byler’s … Continue reading “Backstreets,” the Novel: The Brutal Life of a Uyghur Man in Xinjiang’s Ürümchi
非洲文学：中文译本 African Writing in Chinese Translation
African Writing in Chinese Translation 107 Authors 272 Translated Works （包含大陆、港台等版本） (PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan editions) This “mini” database is an ongoing project and is for reference only. To date, most of the original texts are in colonial languages such as English, French or Portuguese. Although some were originally penned in Arabic (e.g., … Continue reading 非洲文学：中文译本 African Writing in Chinese Translation
「我不是唯一被视为 『他者』 的人」—— 对话 Bruce Humes
Bruce Humes worked in China for more than three decades as an export management trainer, launching B2B magazines for Chinese managers, and translating fiction. He left the mainland in 2015 and has since lived in Taiwan, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Turkey, but continues to write about the Sinosphere. The following interview was conducted in English and … Continue reading 「我不是唯一被视为 『他者』 的人」—— 对话 Bruce Humes
The Uyghur Experience: Connecting the Dots in September 2022
Three important publications are launching this month, offering insight into what it means to be Uyghur today: On Sep 15, Editions Jentayu (info@editions-jentayu.fr) will launch Littérature Ouïghour, a special issue dedicated to contemporary Uyghur writing in French translation. Authors include Memtimin Hoshur and his visionary short story on problematic mustaches; Perhat Tursun; Helide Isra'il; Gülnisa Erdal; … Continue reading The Uyghur Experience: Connecting the Dots in September 2022
Shanghai Translation Launches 5 Novels by Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah
Shanghai Translation Publishing (上海译文出版社) has begun marketing its Chinese renditions of five novels by Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah: 《天堂》(Paradise),《来世》(After Lives),《赞美沉默》(Admiring Silence),《最后的礼物》(The Last Gift) and《海边》(By the Sea). They will eventually be available in e-book format as well. As noted in Tales of Exile and Migration, in 2021 this publisher acquired the rights to publish translations — … Continue reading Shanghai Translation Launches 5 Novels by Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah
Odesa: Czar Vlad’s Obsession
“Putin wants to save me — a gay, Jewish, Russian-speaking man living in Odesa — from Nazis!” Mr. Grudev says. “Please.” (Excerpted from "Odesa Is Defiant. It’s Also Putin’s Ultimate Target")
Silk Road Literary Festival 2022: Relegated to the Web
Global Voices reports: "As part of efforts to encourage tourism, [Uzbek president] Mirziyoyev has promoted various cultural festivals in partnership with international artists and litterateurs. In 2021, to promote Uzbek culture abroad he revived the Soviet-era Tashkent International Film Festival under a new name, The Pearl of the Silk Road. The Mirziyoyev-approved Silk Road Literary Festival, an event intent on … Continue reading Silk Road Literary Festival 2022: Relegated to the Web
Q & A with Bruce Humes, Translator of Eco-fiction Novel “Last Quarter of the Moon”
Thomas Bird: You translated Chi Zijian’s The Last Quarter of the Moon in 2012. It has now been rebranded and newly launched as part of the Vintage Earth series. How do you feel about it 10 years on? Bruce Humes: I feel the book is more relevant than ever. On the one hand, it highlights the challenges that face … Continue reading Q & A with Bruce Humes, Translator of Eco-fiction Novel “Last Quarter of the Moon”
Orientalism and Sci-fi in the People’s Paradise
In The Questionable ‘Chinese-ness’ of Chinese Sci-Fi, Emily Xueni Jin (金雪妮) writes: Notably, China itself is complicit in perpetuating the myth of a uniquely “Chinese” sci-fi. Chinese experts and official-backed panels have referenced “The Three Body Problem” as a classic example of a successful “cultural export.” Writers who achieve international success are paraded around like literary heroes, … Continue reading Orientalism and Sci-fi in the People’s Paradise
Altaic Storytelling 