In a Q & A (艺人及其抢救) with Dr. Yang Enhong, Yao Hui of the Institute of Ethnic Literature (China Academy of Social Sciences) succeeds in extracting fascinating details about how Drakpa (གྲགས་པ།，扎巴), a master storyteller (说唱艺人) of the Tibetan oral epic King Gesar was discovered, and his performances preserved in audio recordings and in written form --- … Continue reading China & “King Gesar”: Challenges of Putting an Oral Epic to Paper
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.
Launched: Collection of Contemporary Kazakh Poetry & Fiction in Chinese Translation
Readers can now purchase the 374-page volume featuring 41 pieces of fiction, most translated from the original Kazakh into Chinese (中国当代少数民族文学翻译作品选萃 － 哈萨克族卷). This is part of the Chinese government’s official translation project (“民译汉”), initiated in 2013, which aims to make writing by ethnic minority writers available to Chinese readers nationwide. This represents a change … Continue reading Launched: Collection of Contemporary Kazakh Poetry & Fiction in Chinese Translation
Definitions of “Chinese” Literary Works in Expansion Mode?
An intriguing picture of what constitutes Chinese literature (中国文学) emerges via an interview with Bai Gengsheng (访中国作协书记处书记白庚胜), a Naxi who has held several senior positions in the state-run ethnic minority literary research apparatus, including his current role as Secretary of the China Writers Association. In the interview with Chinese Reading Weekly (中华读书报), Bai says: In … Continue reading Definitions of “Chinese” Literary Works in Expansion Mode?
“Life of a Mimic”: Xinjiang Writer Addresses Sensitive Question of Self-identity
The latest session of the Lu Xun Literary Institute’s training in creative writing for minority writers recently convened (第15 期少数民族创作培训), and I found myself sifting through the names of the trainees. That’s because participation is a milestone of sorts that presages future stardom: You join the state-run China Writers Association, get published in a prestigious … Continue reading “Life of a Mimic”: Xinjiang Writer Addresses Sensitive Question of Self-identity
Who’s Afraid of Malala: “I Am Malala” and China’s Nobel Prize Complex
Malala Yousafzai will be speaking today in Oslo at the official ceremony where she will be awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, together with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. Like people all over the world, people in Taiwan were eagerly reading her story, I am Malala, a year ago. In Chinese (我是马拉拉), if they … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Malala: “I Am Malala” and China’s Nobel Prize Complex
“Most Influential” Chinese Literature in Translation: 2014 Ranking by International Library Purchases
A list of this year’s 20 so-called “most influential” Chinese literary works in translation has been published by Xi’an Daily (西安日报), and widely republished on the Chinese Internet. What follows are a few factoids I’ve gleaned from this version (影响力最大) at Chinanews.com. The full top 20 for 2014 can be found in Chinese here. The … Continue reading “Most Influential” Chinese Literature in Translation: 2014 Ranking by International Library Purchases
Missing vs. “Disappeared”: NYT Translation on Detained Chinese Citizens Blurs the Line
In Few Clues in Chinese Editor’s Detention, Didi Kirsten Tatlow reports on the recent arrest and detention of Caixin Media editor Xu Xiao (徐晓) and NGO staffer Liu Jianshu (柳建树). Both went missing for at least five days before it was learned that they had been arrested and are now inside Beijing Number 1 Detention … Continue reading Missing vs. “Disappeared”: NYT Translation on Detained Chinese Citizens Blurs the Line
Writers React to Comrade Xi Jinping’s Foray into Literary Criticism
It has taken a bit of time, but Chinese authors have begun to publicize their reaction to Xi Jinping’s speech at the Beijing Oct 15 Forum on Literature and Art Work. While slavish praise has been appropriately abundant, a handful of Art Workers do not appear to be singing in unison. We’ll skip the former … Continue reading Writers React to Comrade Xi Jinping’s Foray into Literary Criticism
Footnote Factoids: How Many Needed to Russify Mo Yan?
In 译莫言作品看中国文学, Mo Yan’s principal Russian translator, Igor Aleksandrovich Egorov (Игорь Aлександрович Егоров), reports that his translation of 丰乳肥臀 (Большая грудь, широкий зад, Big Breasts and Wide Hips) has been a best-seller since 2013. Egorov advocates amply footnoting Mo Yan’s text, because the overwhelming majority of Russian readers are almost totally unfamiliar with either ancient or … Continue reading Footnote Factoids: How Many Needed to Russify Mo Yan?
China’s Ethnic-themed Fiction: Mongolian Author Raises the Bar with Call for Bilingual Skills
Xi Jinping’s recent media blitz reminds China’s propaganda workers that — as Chairman Mao told us back at the 1942 Yan’an Forum — art should serve politics. No ifs, ands or buts, Comrades. To ensure the message gets across to the 55 ethnic minorities that weren’t born Han, “learn from Chairman Xi” study sessions targeting … Continue reading China’s Ethnic-themed Fiction: Mongolian Author Raises the Bar with Call for Bilingual Skills
Altaic Storytelling 