This time, Russian literature was represented by such contemporary writers as Alexei Varlamov, Yuri Nechiporenko and Pavel Basinsky. About the work of the Institute of World Literature. AM. Gorki (IMLI) Chinese colleagues were briefed by the deputy director of the institute for scientific work Yulia Shevchuk and the main researcher of IMLI Marina Arias-Vyakhil.
The Russian exhibition included books from Russian publishers and Chinese translations published under the bilateral publishing program of works of classical and modern literature from China and Russia. This project is overseen by the Chinese Literary Authors Society and the Translation Institute.
On the first day of the fair, Yury Nechiporenko, editor and one of the authors of the bilingual anthology Classics of Children’s Literature along One Belt, One Road, introduced her to the many visitors to the event.
In addition, the Institute of Translation and the Center for Slavic Studies in Beijing awarded the international prize for translation “Russia – China. Literary diplomacy”. The presentation was given by the Director of the Center for Slavic Studies in Beijing, Professor Liu Wenfei and the Scientific Advisor of the Institute of Translation, Associate Professor of the Department of Chinese Philology of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of the ‘Moscow State University, Maria Semenyuk.
“Literature, in my opinion, is one of the most reliable and effective ways to bring nations together,” said Liu Wenfei, chairman of the jury.
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p class=””>“20 books were included in the long list for the first season of the award. Thus, in just two years, 20 wonderful works of Russian literature have been published in Chinese, which indicates the large-scale humanitarian cooperation between Russia and China,” said Maria Semenyuk in turn.
Modern Chinese literature is also actively translated in Russia and enjoys growing popularity among readers and recognition among literary experts. The proof is that last year the winner of the prestigious Russian literary prize “Yasnaya Polyana” for the best translated book was the novel “The Brothers” by the Chinese writer Yu Hua. This novel has become a real bestseller in China. Each of the two brothers is a hero of the new times. Through the story of their relationship, Yu Hua shows the country’s path from the recent past to the difficult and contradictory present. Previously, the “Text” publishing house published a Russian translation of his novel “To Live”, which was made into a feature film by director Zhang Yimou in 1994.
This year, Yasnaya Polyana’s short list also included a Chinese book – the novel Cocoon by Jang Yueran. She is a brilliant representative of the new female generation of Chinese writers. The heroes of the novel, Cheng Gong and Li Jiaqi, are classmates and best friends, but their childhood can hardly be called happy. Cheng Gong’s mother ran away with a licorice vendor, and Jiaqi tries unsuccessfully to win the love of her father, who left his wife and daughter for a better life. Family troubles aside, Cheng Gong and Li Jiaqi are united by a passionate love for investigations, but the kids have no idea that another unearthed secret will end their friendship very soon and cause them to grow soaring. While investigating a crime committed during the Cultural Revolution, Jiaqi and Cheng Gong learn that their families are involved and that the self-destruction that poisoned their parents’ lives stems from their grandfathers’ dark past. The novel is full of cruelty, but Zhang Yueran turns out to be a merciful Christian towards her heroes, she gives them the opportunity to change their destiny, atone for the sins of older generations and overcome inherited trauma.
Aleksey Varlamov, Yuri Nechiporenko and Pavel Basinsky spoke at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing, and the meeting was moderated by the youngest member of the Russian delegation, poet and teacher Ekaterina Barbanyaga, who asked specific and interesting questions . One of them looked like this: isn’t it an alarming symptom that modern mass culture is beginning to actively exploit Russian classics? The question is really difficult. On the one hand, the updating of the classics as a whole works in its favor. This is proof that the literature of the past does not become obsolete, is not covered in textbook dust. Therefore, any new theatrical versions, film adaptations, soap operas and even comics based on the works of Russian classics, such as the upcoming comic on War and Peace, will not harm the classics themselves, but bring them closer to a new generation of readers and viewers.
Alexey Varlamov argued against this view. He believes that mediocrity often tries to hide behind such “actualization”, which uses classic literature as an excuse for its own creative impotence.
Well, that has its own reason too.
It remains to add that, according to People’s Daily Online, 2,500 exhibitors from 56 countries and regions participated in this year’s Beijing Book Fair.
More than 200,000 Chinese and foreign books are displayed at the fair. Of the 1,500 offline participants representing Chinese and international publishing and other relevant organizations, about 60% came from overseas. For the first time this year, the program of the event included an exhibition on online publishing which presented new forms of publishing such as online literature and online games.
Algeria was the guest of honor at the fair this year.
The fair was co-organized by the State Administration of Printing and Publishing of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, the city government of Beijing, the China Publishers Association and the China Writers Association. .
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