Chinese classic makes debut at London Book Fair

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Hope and Life , the English version of a Chinese novel, which explores the emotional and spiritual history of people in a rural area of China over the course of a century, is unveiled at the London Book Fair on April 18 (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Hope and Life, the English-language version of Chinese novel You Sheng, that is attracting a great deal of attention, made its debut at the 2023 London Book Fair, which ran from April 18 to 20 and boasted the participation of more than 1,700 companies from 60 countries and regions.

More than 40 Chinese publishers, supported by the National Press and Publication Administration, showcased at least 2,300 China-themed books at the event.

First published in 2021 in China by Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing, Hope and Life took author Hu Xuewen eight years to finish. It scooped almost all of that year’s major Chinese literary prizes. Since its publication, the book’s copyright has been sold in eight languages, including English, German and French.

It is hard to summarise the novel, which extends for 938 pages and is narrated in a structure that the writer depicts as “umbrella-shaped”.

Half of the 20 chapters are devoted to the recollection of the past by centenarian midwife Qiao Damei, or the “Great Grandmother”, which constitutes the shaft of the “umbrella”, and the remaining chapters recount the stories of five other characters, which form the canopy. The narration travels back and forth between the present and the past.

“It’s my notion of good novels that they should not be easily summarised, but can provide space for different interpretations,” Hu said.

Born in a village in Guyuan county, Hebei, in 1967, Hu became a professional writer in 2002. His novella From Noon to Dusk won the Lu Xun Literature Prize in 2014.

Writer Hu Xuewen has spent almost eight years working on the 938-page novel (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Speaking at the launch of the English version of Hope and Life on April 18, Li Liyan, minister counsellor for cultural affairs at the Chinese embassy, said: “Chinese-English literary exchanges have a long history, and the literature of both countries hold a pivotal position in the world.

“I think one of the better ways to understand China, especially China in the new era, is to read excellent Chinese literature, especially excellent works from contemporary Chinese writers. Hope and Life is a precious gift from Chinese writers to readers all over the world.”

Li said he hopes there will be more Chinese writers and literary works to tell the world the story of today’s China and deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between China and other countries.

Tony Caplin, general manager of New Classic Press, the publisher of the English version of the book, said: “The novel provides readers with an encyclopaedic glimpse into the life of rural China, through the eyes of an ageing, bedridden midwife named Qiao Damei.”

The book has already received many accolades in China, including the best book of the year in 2021.

Books such as the Dictionary of Chinese Cultural Knowledge and Business Chinese have also been exhibited, as has a children’s picture book illustrated by the British Chinese illustrator Yu Rong called The Visible Sounds, which made a splash during a panel discussion at the book fair.

A Chinese culture and art book exhibition, entitled A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, was part of this year’s London Book Fair. The fair presented more than 100 books on ancient and modern Chinese art, design and paintings and highlighted the use of blue-green hues in depicting landscapes.

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains is one of the most famous paintings in Chinese history for its sweeping scale, rich colours and vivid details. The masterpiece was the only extant piece by prodigy artist Wang Ximeng who created it at age 17 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). That period of time witnessed the flowering of literature and art and has left many poems and paintings as a legacy.

Yang Yang contributed to the story.