“Writing China – Roundtable with Five Renowned Chinese Authors” held in London

The event titled “Writing China – Roundtable with Five Renowned Chinese Authors” was successfully held at the School of Oriental and African Studies （SOAS）， University of London， Britain， on October 22nd. The event was organized by the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles （BFLAC） and co-hosted by China National Publications Import and Export （Group） Co.， Ltd. （CNPIEC）， Beijing Laoshe College of Literature， and SOAS. Attending the event were Li Liyan， a counselor from the Chinese Embassy in the U.K.， Tian Peng， a senior inspector from the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles （BFLAC）， and Alan Cummings， head of the East Asian Languages and Cultures Department at SOAS. Also present were Beijing writers of BFLAC， including Li Er， Xu Zechen， Qiao Ye， Zhou Xiaofeng， Zhou Min， and other delegation members， Sinologist Shen Rufeng， and over 50 locally known literature enthusiasts. The event was moderated by Dr. Mina， associate professor at the East Asian Language and Culture Department of SOAS.

In his address， Alan Cummings thanked the visiting Chinese writers， noting that English-speaking readers are increasingly interested in translated works. The visit of Chinese writers allows for a better understanding of the stories and inspirations behind their novels， fostering dialogue and promoting mutual appreciation and friendship.

Tian Peng remarked in his speech that SOAS shares a historical connection with Chinese literature due to the legacy of the renowned Chinese writer Lao She. Over a century ago， when modern Chinese literature was born， pioneers like Lao She retained a sense of national identity while embracing the world. This led to the vibrant literary scene we see in China today. Literature is the foundation of the arts and a universal language. Through this literary exchange delegation， we hope both sides can share stories that touch many hearts， furthering Sino-British literary collaboration and exchanges to new heights.

During his speech， Li Liyan stated that both China and the U.K. are major literary nations with long histories and rich cultures. Literature has played a significant role in deepening cultural exchanges between the two and bridging the hearts of their peoples. We hope that more outstanding Chinese literary works reach overseas audiences， allowing international readers to better understand and know China.

In the literary dialogue， Li Er discussed “native literature，” explaining its origins and tracing its development in China through different periods. Subsequently， upon the audiences request， Li Er introduced the background of his work Brother Yingwu and its conceptual differences from the novel The Scholars and Fortress Besieged. He mentioned that Brother Yingwu is a novel closely related to contemporary China， dealing intricately with Chinese traditional culture， especially Confucianism. Translations into English， Italian， Arabic， and other languages are currently underway. Discussing another novel， Cherries on the Pomegranate Tree， Li Er shared that multiple translations exist， with the English version being released this year. He awaits the reaction of English readers. Both works depict the lives and thoughts of Chinese intellectuals amidst the intertwining of ideals， history， and East-West cultural exchanges， reflecting the uniqueness of Chinas reality. Thus， both Brother Yingwu and Cherries on the Pomegranate Tree offer readers insights into contemporary Chinese society.

Xu Zechen spoke about “urban literature，” introducing his short story collection Stories from Beijings West Suburbs， which took six years to write. “Every character in this novel is not me， but in the end， they all represent facets of me.” He noted that compared to mainstream native literature， fewer Chinese writers are focusing on urban literature. Chinas rapid development， especially in urban areas， inspires him to depict the changing cities. He also used the example of his work Running Through Zhongguancun， which was released in German at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair， to illustrate the perplexity of a German journalist who wondered why he， coming from a rural background， devoted himself to writing about urban life. He introduced the sense of hopelessness that young Chinese writers felt when facing a rural society that was “no longer typical” and that they could not grasp its essential nature. Urban life has become the primary context for this generation to ponder personal and global issues. As individuals， their reflections are rooted in the city. Although urban literature might lack the robust and efficient writing models of native literature， he expressed his love and commitment to continue exploring the genre.

Qiao Ye discussed his novel Bao Shui， emphasizing Chinas profound tradition and powerful presence in native literature. Qiao Ye said that Bao Shui is a novel about the native soil， in which the life experiences， life awareness and life aspirations of the people in current rural China are important expressive contents. On the chain of Chinese native soil literature， these contents are considered by critics to have some new qualities of the times， compared to the native soil novels of the 1970s and 1980s. This is a natural representation of societal progress in literary works. Due to frequent urban-rural movements， many authors experience a blended state of urban and rural life. “Both Li Er and Xu Zechen， like myself， have experiences rooted in urban and rural settings， and this is evident in our works.” The characters and stories in Bao Shui intensely convey such experiences. Qiao Ye also combined his own life experience and the text of Bao Shui to provide a rich explanation and discussion on literary topics such as the urban-rural relationship in the current state of China， the relationship between people and their hometowns under the background of urbanization， and the psychological， emotional， and moral states of people in the urban-rural relationship. He hopes that more overseas readers will pay attention to the literary expression of contemporary Chinese rural areas.

Zhou Xiaofeng shared that before writing childrens literature， she primarily wrote essays. Essays， being non-fiction， emphasize truth and sincerity， which laid the foundation for her later fairy tale creations. A Chinese saying， “Children speak without a filter，” refers to a childs honest and fearless speech， usually without repercussions. Its challenging for adults to maintain this quality， yet writers must strive for it. Increasingly， Chinese writers are venturing into childrens literature， recognizing that its not a dilution of intelligence or a downgrade in technique but rather a more abundant form of expression. Returning to childhood， in some ways， is a longer journey than looking to the future as we naturally age and experience growth. But every step of growth can potentially hinder our return to innocence. Like many writers who delve into interdisciplinary writing， she wishes always to retain the passion， bewilderment， and humility of a beginner， which means， to always have the vivacity of discovery， much like a child.

Zhou Min cited her series The Little Fairy of Gong Drum Lane and E.B. Whites Charlottes Web as examples， emphasizing how childrens literature can draw from and refine real-life experiences. She pointed out that constructing a story doesnt necessarily require creating an entirely fantastical， unfamiliar world. Drawing from real life and refining those elements can be immensely beneficial for childrens literature. While writing The Little Fairy of Gong Drum Lane， she incorporated cultural elements like Beijings hutongs， historical landmarks， and ancient Chinese texts. This significantly bridged the gap with readers， and the storys setting even became a popular spot for social media check-ins. Consequently， Zhou Min suggests that childrens authors should always remind themselves they are “writing for young readers.” They need to cater to the unique nature of their audience through their choice of language， character portrayal， plotlines， and themes to ensure engaging and age-appropriate content. Ultimately， creating a beautiful world where reality and fantasy intertwine seamlessly.

Shen Rufeng discussed ways to share Chinese works with English readers from various angles. He explained that unlike the Chinese categorization of “urban literature” and “rural literature，” English literature doesnt have such distinctions. He then shared insights on English readers perceptions of Chinese literature and his outlook on its future. Based on the number of Chinese literary works translated into English between 2020 and 2022， he concluded that while the number of translations may be relatively low， they are gradually gaining acceptance and showcasing diverse themes. He noted recent statistics show younger readers are increasingly exploring “overflow literature，” outnumbering older readers. Comparing the popularity of Japanese and Korean literature in the English market， he speculated that a specific theme from China would soon break into the English readership， and he remains optimistic about the future of translated Chinese literature.

The writers introductions and scholars interpretations deeply impressed the audience with the charm and power of Chinese literature. Attendees were immersed， traveling through the narratives and historical contexts presented by the authors， experiencing the character development， stories， and destinies within Chinese literature. The works of the five authors not only reflect the societal changes and developments in China over the past 30 years but also offer insight into the inner worlds and aspirations of its people. Contemporary Chinese literatures diverse subjects and narrative styles offer overseas readers a window into China. In the subsequent Q&A session， attendees engaged in a lively exchange with the authors， focusing on writing， dissemination， and translation as core topics.

The purpose of the “Writing China – Roundtable with Five Renowned Chinese Authors” is to share and promote Chinese stories through literature， enhancing British readers understanding and appreciation of China. This event was one of three major activities organized by the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles （BFLAC） during their literary exchange visits to Germany and the U.K.

Before the roundtable， Tian Peng had discussions with the heads of the Afro-Asian Institute. Both sides fondly remembered Lao She， a literary figure recognized and admired by both Chinese and British people. The institute recounted their efforts in sourcing historical materials related to Lao Shes time there and expressed a willingness to continue these efforts， for which the delegation expressed gratitude.

During the visit， the delegation also paid respects at Lao Shes former residence at 31 St. Jamess Gardens and conducted research at major U.K. bookstores like Waterstones and Notting Hill Bookshop.