(Posted: Feb 2, 2022) This short excerpt from Alat Asem's Confessions of a Jade Lord (时间悄悄的嘴脸, 阿拉提·阿斯木 著) intriguingly captures several key aspects of Uyghur culture, modern and ancient. To get his greedy hands on nine hefty chunks of priceless creamy-white, "mutton-fat" jade, Eysa and his gang administer a deadly beating to Xali, a fellow trader. Fearing arrest, Eysa flees … Continue reading Confessions of a Jade Lord (excerpt): ‘Marry your mother to the villain who killed your father’
Tag: Alat Asem
“Sidik Golden MobOff”: Li Bai was Uyghur
An Excerpt from Sidik Golden MobOff by Alat Asem 斯迪克金子关机 阿拉提·阿斯木 著 First published in Peregrine, Issue 14, June 2013 Translated by Bruce Humes In our community, the only person who excelled at translating Uyghur into Chinese was Big Brother Sidik, and this was the inexhaustible source of his arrogance and aloofness. His colleagues and fellow students … Continue reading “Sidik Golden MobOff”: Li Bai was Uyghur
Synopsis: “Confessions of a Jade Lord”
My co-translation of Uyghur author Alat Asem’s novel set in Xinjiang has now been published. Here is a brief synopsis of sorts, taken straight off the book’s back cover: Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》（阿拉提·阿斯木 著) “Tell Eysa that he cannot live by drifting in the wind. He should return and live in his own … Continue reading Synopsis: “Confessions of a Jade Lord”
Extract: Alat Asem’s Novel “Confessions of a Jade Lord” (时间悄悄的嘴脸)
An excerpt from the newly published novel by Uyghur author Alat Asem, Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》 Chapter 19 Rechristening a High-rise In the midst of his hectic days as minor-character-cum-stagehand, Exet the Mouse’s magnificent new sobriquet — “Suet Exet” — fails to resonate. Those two sheep were indeed sacrificed in vain. Afterwards, he … Continue reading Extract: Alat Asem’s Novel “Confessions of a Jade Lord” (时间悄悄的嘴脸)
Altaic Storytelling: What We’re Reading Now (2017.5)
A few years back I read a longish, semi-autobiographical novel by Guo Xuebo (郭雪波), who was raised in the Horchin Grasslands of Inner Mongolia (科尔沁草原) and is a native speaker of Mongolian. Entitled 《蒙古里亚》— an attempt to replicate the sound of “Mongolia” in Chinese, I assume — it comprises three distinct narratives that are intricately … Continue reading Altaic Storytelling: What We’re Reading Now (2017.5)
Uyghur Author Alat Asem: Backgrounder in French
Brigitte Duzan at chinese-shortstories.com has just posted a detailed introduction to Alat Asem (阿拉提·阿斯木), a bilingual Uyghur writer based in Xinjiang. Here is her translation of the editor's Afterword to his collection of short stories, 蝴蝶时代 (The Butterfly Era): Dans le paysage éditorial de la littérature contemporaine chinoise, la littérature du Xinjiang dégage un charme … Continue reading Uyghur Author Alat Asem: Backgrounder in French
Alat Asem’s 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》: Guide to Related Links
Alat Asem’s Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》阿拉提·阿斯木 著 Translated by Bruce Humes and Jun Liu Author's Background 阿拉提·阿斯木_百度百科 Literary Bio Présentation: Alat Asem (en français) Book Reviews Turkey's Sabah: A Gem of Uyghur Literature Academic Papers 翟晓甜 张治安:阿拉提·阿斯木的超越与创新——读《时间悄悄的嘴脸》 Renditions of the Novel Chinese original: 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》 Excerpt: Rechristening a High-rise (Chapter 19) The Translation Process Co-translating … Continue reading Alat Asem’s 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》: Guide to Related Links
Quick Guide to China’s Contemporary Ethnic-themed Literature in Translation
Updated: May 3, 2018 (No plans to further update) Quick Guide to China’s Contemporary Ethnic-themed Literature in Translation I’m often too busy to immediately write a well-researched post about contemporary “ethnic-themed” fiction that has been translated and published in a foreign tongue. This is a loose category (民族题材文学) that includes stories — regardless of the … Continue reading Quick Guide to China’s Contemporary Ethnic-themed Literature in Translation
2015 Mao Dun Prize: Who Will Snare Award for Unofficial “Ethnic-themed” Category?
The longlist for what is arguably China’s most prestigious award for novels has just been published (第九届茅盾文学奖参评作品目录). I write “arguably” because, like virtually every literary competition in the PRC of late, even the reputation of the Mao Dun Literature Prize --- sponsored by the very official Chinese Writers Association --- has been questioned. See 2014: Year of … Continue reading 2015 Mao Dun Prize: Who Will Snare Award for Unofficial “Ethnic-themed” Category?
July 2014: Update on Uyghur Writers and Writing as Crackdown Gains Momentum
In the wake of two high-profile and deadly attacks reportedly carried out by Uyghurs outside of their traditional homeland, the Chinese authorities have launched a multi-faceted campaign to crush what they see as a terrorist movement that aims at founding an independent state in the Xinjiang autonomous region covering one-sixth of Chinese territory. I am … Continue reading July 2014: Update on Uyghur Writers and Writing as Crackdown Gains Momentum
Ethnic ChinaLit 