Tag: Bruce Humes

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 the … Continue reading Xinjiang-based Novel: Excerpt from Patigül’s “Bloodline” →

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” →

The Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗): A Multilingual Guide to Related Links

《玛纳斯史诗》 The Epic of Manas A Multilingual Guide to Related Links Non-Han Oral Epics 《中国史诗》(Chinese) Comprehensive 591-page study of China’s oral epics by scholars Lang Ying (朗樱) and J. Rincindorji (仁钦道尔吉). Dedicates 40 pages to Manas, including synopsis, Kyrgyz oral storytelling tradition, and manasqi. The Manas Epic The Kyrgyz Epic Manas Selections translated, introduced and annotated by … Continue reading The Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗): A Multilingual Guide to Related Links →

Backgrounder: Mongolian author Guo Xuebo

February 17, 2019 Author's Bio Although he writes in Chinese, Guo Xuebo (郭雪波) is fiercely proud of his Mongolian heritage and was raised in Inner Mongolia’s Khorchin Grasslands (Hure Banner). Now 71 and bilingual, he spoke Mongolian at home and school until he was 13. He graduated from Beijing’s prestigious Central Academy of Drama (Department … Continue reading Backgrounder: Mongolian author Guo Xuebo →

African Literature: On China’s Cultural Radar Yet?

Can Literary Imports Change Chinese Perceptions of Africa? : My piece on AfroLit in Chinese is up now at Sixth Tone: Since the founding of the modern Chinese state in 1949, there have been three waves of African literary imports. The first, which emerged in the 1980s, was ideologically driven. Empowered by Beijing’s policy of promoting … Continue reading African Literature: On China’s Cultural Radar Yet? →

The New Xinjiang: Traveling when Uyghur

In Navigating Xinjiang's Security Checkpoints, Darren Byler, anthropology PhD candidate at the University of Washington, relates his recent experiences in northwest China: Over the course of a week in cities across Xinjiang, I went through dozens and dozens of checkpoints. I saw young Uighur officers berate elderly Uighurs for not showing their IDs. I saw … Continue reading The New Xinjiang: Traveling when Uyghur →

English Excerpt from “Prayers in the Wind” (祭语风中) by Tibetan Author Tsering Norbu

Excerpt from Prayers in the Wind A novel by Tibetan Author Tsering Norbu 节选:《祭语风中》（次仁罗布 著） Translated from the Chinese by Joshua Dyer Edited by Bruce Humes Zhyiö Rinpoche’s body sat upright on a wooden bed wrapped in his frayed and faded robe. Peering through the thick veil of incense smoke, I could almost will myself … Continue reading English Excerpt from “Prayers in the Wind” (祭语风中) by Tibetan Author Tsering Norbu →

“Manas” Onstage: Ongoing Moves to Sinicize China’s Three Great Oral Epics

A large-scale, colourful rendition of the Kyrgyz epic Manas (玛纳斯史诗) was staged March 22-23 in Beijing’s ultra-modern Poly Theater. This performance came just two days after the newly anointed President Xi Jinping, speaking at the People’s Congress, cited two of the three great oral epics of non-Han peoples, Manas and the Tibetan-language King Gesar. While … Continue reading “Manas” Onstage: Ongoing Moves to Sinicize China’s Three Great Oral Epics →