Author: xumushi

Chinese-to-English literary translator. Interested in topics such as fiction by the non-Han peoples of China, storytelling by Altaic peoples, and Silk Road cultures.

Guide to Related Links: Chi Zijian’s “Last Quarter of the Moon” (额尔古纳河右岸)

Chi Zijian's Last Quarter of the Moon 《额尔古纳河右岸》(迟子建著) A Multilingual List of Translations, Book Reviews, Interviews, Academic Papers & Related Info 《额尔古纳河右岸》: Translations of the Novel  Arabic (الربع الأخير من القمر); Dutch (Het laatste kwartier van de maan, translated direct from my English version); English (LastQuarter of the Moon); Finnish (Poulikku); French (Le dernier quartier … Continue reading Guide to Related Links: Chi Zijian’s “Last Quarter of the Moon” (额尔古纳河右岸) →

Contemporary Fiction from China: Must it Be Penned in Mandarin?

Aug 23, 2020 Update: Bainuu, the only Mongolian-language social media application available in China, which hosted about 400,000 Southern Mongolians users, reportedly shut down by Chinese authorities.     A few years back I posted a piece entitled A Resounding "Yes" to Mother-tongue Literature -- but for Whom and about What? In this context, “mother-tongue” … Continue reading Contemporary Fiction from China: Must it Be Penned in Mandarin? →

Sangpuy (桑布伊): Profile of Taiwan’s Aboriginal Musician

My latest translation for Taiwan Panorama (台灣光華), a bilingual monthly: A member of Taitung’s Pinuyumayan (台東卑南族) community, Sangpuy Katatepan (桑布伊) has been deeply attracted to the ancient melodies of his tribe since childhood. He composes the lyrics for each song on his albums in the Aboriginal language of his people. This love for the land … Continue reading Sangpuy (桑布伊): Profile of Taiwan’s Aboriginal Musician →

“Funeral of a Muslim” (穆斯林的葬礼): Tale of Three Generations of a 20th Century Hui Family

With sales of several million copies, Funeral of a Muslim, Huo Da’s tale about three generations of a Hui family in Beijing, is quite possibly the most popular ethnic-themed novel ever published in China. It spans the turbulent years of the Japanese invasion, World War II and part of the Cultural Revolution. If the novel is … Continue reading “Funeral of a Muslim” (穆斯林的葬礼): Tale of Three Generations of a 20th Century Hui Family →

Fang Fang’s Wuhan Diary: Dissed for ‘Washing Dirty Linen’ before Foreign Eyes

家丑不传外 It was bad enough that author Fang Fang (方方) has regularly posted her popular Wuhan Diary (武汉日记) on China’s social media, offering her personal — and not occasionally, critical — comments on the effects of the deadly epidemic during the lockdown, penned at Ground Zero. Reports The Diplomat (Conscience of Wuhan): . . . … Continue reading Fang Fang’s Wuhan Diary: Dissed for ‘Washing Dirty Linen’ before Foreign Eyes →

非漂出版专讯: 2020.4 AfroLit4China Newsbriefs

Recent Interviews with African Novelists (非洲作家最近受访): Petina Gappah, Zimbabwean author of Out of Darkness, Shining Light, about 19th-century explorer David Livingstone: “Livingstone was an absolute gossip and his journals were valuable – he wrote about other people, but also about nature, ants, leaves. The most interesting snippets, I weaved into the story. I learned Swahili … Continue reading 非漂出版专讯: 2020.4 AfroLit4China Newsbriefs →

China’s First 20th-century Epidemic: Brief Excerpts from Reportage and Fiction

For those of you who would like to learn a bit about China’s pre-21st century experience in dealing with epidemics, I’ve woven together three topical items, all of which center around an epidemic that took place in early 1900s China. They include news about the upcoming launch of a French translation of a “plague” novel — 《白雪乌鸦》by … Continue reading China’s First 20th-century Epidemic: Brief Excerpts from Reportage and Fiction →

Interviews with Chinese-to-English Literary Translator Bruce Humes

Podcaster Angus Stewart interviews Bruce Humes about translating Chi Zijian’s Last Quarter of the Moon Arrival of the Han & their lumberjacks * Female Shamans * Magical realism * Gu Tao’s documentaries * Irony of CCP-driven collectivization * Various titles of the novel in translation Chimamanda Adichie is leading the rise of an African literature wave in China (Quartz China) African fiction in Chinese translation  *  Popularity … Continue reading Interviews with Chinese-to-English Literary Translator Bruce Humes →

Xinjiang-based Novel: Excerpt from Patigül’s “Bloodline”

   An excerpt from Bloodline , a novel by Uyghur author Patigül set in Xinjiang (《百年血脉》帕蒂古丽 著) Translated from the Chinese by Natascha Bruce Edited by Bruce Humes   Growing Up In Da’nanpo (大南坡上的日子) We lived southeast of Da’nanpo, deep in the desert and on top of a steep slope, which meant all routes away from … Continue reading Xinjiang-based Novel: Excerpt from Patigül’s “Bloodline” →