Banner of the Week: “Show us some Humanity!”
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.
Movie Review: Focus on the Endangered “Nikah” Uyghur Wedding Rite
In ‘Nikah’: An astonishing portrait of Uyghur life on the edge of erasure, Darren Byler introduces a film about a traditional Uyghur wedding rite that has been banned in Xinjiang: The story on the surface is a simple one. Two daughters in their twenties, Dilber and Rena, are caught between their own ambitions — careers, … Continue reading Movie Review: Focus on the Endangered “Nikah” Uyghur Wedding Rite
Disappeared in Xinjiang: Uyghur Ethnographer Rahile Dawut
In A Disappearance in Xinjiang, Financial Times' Edward White profiles Uyghur female ethnographer Rahile Dawut, who disappeared into China's Xinjiang Gulag in 2017: Rahile’s life was devoted to the preservation of cultural diversity across the vast Xinjiang region, nearly three times the size of France and covering about one-sixth of modern China. For centuries, ancient Silk … Continue reading Disappeared in Xinjiang: Uyghur Ethnographer Rahile Dawut
Quote of the Week: Yiyun Li
Once you’re Chinese, you’re always Chinese. They put a mark on you . . . And I don’t want to be owned. (Writer Yiyun Li, speaking in Mother Tongues at China Books Review)
Shanghai Baby’s Translator, Author Wei Hui & Abu Ghraib
At the turn of 21st century, three young female Chinese novelists were busy boldly writing about their sexuality, orgasms and all, and being lambasted for it by the critics and Chinese society at large. The trio were Jiu Dan, who chronicled the exploits of China's“Little Dragon Girls” in Singapore in Crows (乌鸦); Mian Mian, author … Continue reading Shanghai Baby’s Translator, Author Wei Hui & Abu Ghraib
Excerpt from “Mapping Civilizations Across Eurasia”
By H K Chang Translated by Bruce Humes in collaboration with the author Now available for purchase online Miniature Painting Guide: My Name Is Red In the summer of 2003, I accidentally came into possession of an English translation of Benim Adım Kırmızı (My Name is Red), a novel by the Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. … Continue reading Excerpt from “Mapping Civilizations Across Eurasia”
Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading Now — “La Légende du Chaman”
Le chamanisme a été interdit en Mongolie durant la période socialiste au même titre que l’écriture et les costumes traditionnels. Il était alors perçu comme une pratique arriérée, néfaste et manipulatrice. Quand j'ai lu La Légende du Chaman pour la première fois au tournant des années 2010, il connaissait un regain d'intérêt important dans un … Continue reading Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading Now — “La Légende du Chaman”
Translating Taiwan: Gender is a Popular Theme
Translating Taiwan: Meetings with Literary Translators features interviews with several translators --- including into English, French, Japanese and German --- and identifies one unique focus: In terms of subject matter, gender is a popular theme among Taiwanese writers of all ages. This shared commitment reflects Taiwan's persistent struggles for gender equality over the decades, as … Continue reading Translating Taiwan: Gender is a Popular Theme
Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading now — Journey to the End of the Empire
Over the next fifteen years [since 2004] I returned a dozen times to Tibet and southwest China. I witnessed transformations so shocking that I felt I was taking blows to my own bones. Massive dam systems killed rivers and displaced communities, mountains were raked apart to provide gravel for construction projects, and the region was … Continue reading Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading now — Journey to the End of the Empire
Q & A: The Status of Contemporary “AfroLit4China”
Several years ago, I noticed that China was importing huge amounts of mineral resources from Africa, and busy signing contracts to collaborate in the long-term exploitation of even more. I wondered: But what was the People's Republic importing from Africa, in terms of 文化产品, i.e., "cultural products," an awkward, Marxist-sounding term that one often hears in Mandarin? To satisfy … Continue reading Q & A: The Status of Contemporary “AfroLit4China”
Ethnic ChinaLit 