“Het laatste kwartier van de maan”: Launching August 20

If you don't know Chinese and prefer not to read Chi Zijian's classic <额尔古纳河右岸> about the twilight of the Evenki in English later this year you can enjoy it in Dutch---Het laatse kwartier van de maan. It will be available from The House of Books beginning the latter part of August 2013. But please note: … Continue reading “Het laatste kwartier van de maan”: Launching August 20 →

Chutzpah!: Latest Issue Devoted to Writers of non-Han Descent

Good news from the bimonthly Chinese literary magazine Chutzpah! (天南): the latest edition (Issue 14) is devoted entirely to writing by authors of non-Han descent. Several languages are involved here—most are published in Chinese, but some were written in other tongues and then translated into Chinese, while one has been rendered in English. The latter … Continue reading Chutzpah!: Latest Issue Devoted to Writers of non-Han Descent →

Selling “Shanghai Baby” to the Hungry Masses

Writing in the China Daily (The Slim Years), Chitralekha Basu looks at how translated Chinese fiction has fared since 2000: The last book to have notched up outstanding sales in the English-speaking market is Shanghai Baby [上海宝贝] by Wei Hui (translated by Bruce Humes/Robinson Publishing UK) in 2001. The somewhat morbid tale of a waitress-turned-writer … Continue reading Selling “Shanghai Baby” to the Hungry Masses →

Transparent Translator Series: Bruce Humes and his “Shanghai Baby” (上海宝贝)

Banned in China, Shanghai Baby (上海宝贝) captured the interest of publishers in the West, and I was commissioned by Simon & Schuster to translate the novel, which was published in 2001. Perhaps because my version became a best-seller in Hong Kong and Singapore, and the Chinese original was later translated into several languages including French, German, Italian and … Continue reading Transparent Translator Series: Bruce Humes and his “Shanghai Baby” (上海宝贝) →