MCLC: German version of People's Literature launched

[MCLC LIST]

MCLC LIST
German version of People’s Literature launched
Source: China Daily (12/5/15)
Pathlight of Chinese literature to lighten up the world
By Mei Jia (chinadaily.com.cn)
Following the warm reception of the English version of People's Literature, a landmark magazine recording contemporary Chinese literary life, its German version was launched in late Nov in Beijing.
More multi-lingual versions are either ready or on the way to meet their targeted readers, the editor-in-chief Shi Zhanjun said.
The magazine's attempt of taking positive actions to promote Chinese writings abroad and its achievements were praised at a forum "Representing China: A New Perspective of Intercultural Communication" at Beijing Language and Culture University on Friday.
The English version, launched in 2011 and entitled Pathlight, is a quarterly redesigned from the cover to illustrations to suit the global taste. Concentrating on one theme in each issue, it features short stories, novellas, and poems by contemporary writers, especially the young and new voices.
Besides the latest German version, there’re already two issues in both French and Italian language, and one each in Russian and Japanese.
Shi said the multi-lingual versions are to expand into 15 languages in the future, including Spanish, Arabic and Korean.
Veteran critic Yan Jingming called the moves "historic", because instead of being passively introduced into foreign market, the Chinese writers, especially the younger ones, would find the multi-lingual Pathligh a chance to reach more hearts.
"We hope to show the world, through the magazines, that Chinese literature is open to the world, and is also a part of the world literature. It shouldn’t be put on the shelves of sociology," Shi said, recalling the past experience of seeing translated Chinese literary works misplaced in bookstores outside of China.
Using the same successful mode of cooperation in publishing the English version, the German version also has a mixed editorial team that combines translators, scholars, and critics who are native speakers of either German or Chinese languages.
Gong Yingxin, director of German Book Office Beijing of Frankfurt Book Fair, said the editors have been having "fierce" discussions in details like the translation of a single word.
The first issue, after a year’s co-work, selects 18 Chinese writers, including Han Shaogong and Lin Bai. The theme is "thoughts". Herr Enrico Brandt, head of the section for cultural affairs of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Beijing, said he finds reading the issue a wonderful experience and he likes the stories of the little marginalized characters.
"The interest of reading China has been on a rise, for example, the number of Chinese publishers that went to 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair has increased 10 percent," Brandt said.
"All we want to do, through publishing the magazines, is to share with the global audience how ordinary Chinese people nowadays might feel and react toward the world," Shi said.
by denton.2 at osu.edu on December 8, 2015
You are subscribed to email updates from MCLC Resource Center  
To stop receiving these emails, click here.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.osu.edu/pipermail/mclc/attachments/20151208/3c9b9ecb/attachment.html>