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The Shanghai Writing Program

This article appears in media partnership with the German-Chinese Culture Network www . cn.net de. This involves the Shanghai Writing Program 2010th In order the Sino-German cultural network led Li Jianming (李健鸣) an interview with Wang Anyi (王安 忆), the chairman of the Shanghai Writers' Association.

The well-known Chinese writer Wang Anyi in China was 19 54 in Nanjing born and raised in Shanghai. Their main work, The Song of Everlasting Sorrow was at the 5th Presentation of the Mao Dun Literature Prize awarded and later filmed. Since 2001, Wang Anyi is chairman of the Shanghai Writers' Association. She was often a guest in Germany, where it has participated in readings and discussions.

can you tell us what caused this program is?

Sun floated before me a program for some time. In 1983 I had my mother - accompanied an international writer program at the University of Iowa, which was organized by Nie Hualing (聂华苓) and her husband - the famous, already deceased writer Ru Zhijuan (茹志鹃). This has greatly inspired me at that time. Gradually, the idea to make a similar event in Shanghai on the legs, then taken shape, but the conditions have not voted in a long time. Not until three years ago, the governing body of the Shanghai Writers' Association pledged its active support, it was my desire to be realized. We be responsible for the foreign authors for the tickets, accommodation and - for two months - the cost of living, these are significant issues. Of course, we now have the ability, these costs in full.

What are the goals of this program?
We want foreign authors get to Shanghai in order to train them in literature from Shanghai and China. Of course we also hope that they contribute something of our literature in the world.

And as the program runs exactly?

The program takes place this year for the third time. In the first year there were three authors, in to five and now there are seven. We decided from the beginning, the writer is not in hotels but to be accommodated in Chinese neighborhoods in order to meet a Chinese living environment. In the last two years we have consistently received very positive feedback received from foreign authors. So the writers who came in the first year from Japan, Canada and Australia, have the program on their return recommended by itself to other writers. Our program is also used by the Chinese consulates of some countries active in support of including those from the Czech Republic, Israel and Sweden.

The authors make their stay in Shanghai mainly themselves, they only need to give a talk on a given topic from us and once for a meeting with students of Fudan University are available. In the first year, the theme was "Home and Away" in the second year, "Where do you come from", so it was home to literature and the concept of home, and also about one's own questioning. This year, however, is the motto of "City and writing" that affects primarily with questions of work and survival of authors who live in cities. For this year, so instead of the EXPO in China, and has the motto "Better City - Better Life".

Were there any problems with the implementation of the program?

course. During the selection of the authors. Our project is not a replacement program, but we had yet with the cultural institutions of other countries get in touch to let us propose of them writers. Some famous writers can hardly win an invitation, because they are terribly busy. In addition, many issues are organized by agents, making it impossible to establish direct contact with these authors.

Of course there are language barriers, but the standard needs of everyday life, so to ask for directions or buy something, make really is not a problem because many people in Shanghai speak some English. If the authors make visits and inspections, participate in panel discussions or give a talk, we always ask them for an interpreter to the side.

terms of substance, we have made over the past two years to many tourist activities. We want to make this year different. For example, we want to show the foreign authors of the more outlying areas of Shanghai and visit with them as schools for migrant workers' children, so they can see not only the development of the city, but also the new problems arising from this development. Also

communication with foreign cultural institutions can be difficult, especially if there are no regular contacts.

What impact has the program in the society?

a very positive one. First, the students of Fudan University extremely interested in the presentations of the writer and are also happy to participate in the discussions. But the Shanghai-authors benefit from contact with foreign writers. In other countries there are usually no writers' organizations, and when we travel abroad, it is often very difficult to meet with real writers. The Shanghai Media actively participate in our program, for example, has been in the English edition of the Shanghai Daily reported on our activities.

you have any new plans for the program?

Yes, I would hope that in future we can put the emphasis on developing countries and invite more writers from Third World countries to Shanghai.

you were already in Germany, what impression they have of the German literature?

Although I have not received comprehensive cultural education, but have the translations of European literature in particular and of course German works influenced me greatly. I was already a few times to visit in Germany, have lived a while in Bonn and met the local daily. I noticed that the Germans are very anti-materialistic. However, I found life in Germany, all in all a bit boring.

A final question: Would you tell us what are you working now?

For half a year I write a new novel. The novel is set in Shanghai and depicts a story from the Ming period. I will write the book later this year completed.

Wang Anyi, thank you for your time!

Interview / Text: Li Jianming (李健鸣)
translation: Julia Buddenberg
October 2010

Related Links
Shanghai Writers' Association
Tina Uebel travel blog
The original

image sources:
Wang Anyi 2005 in Shanghai, Photo: Zhang Peng © ImagineChina
participants www.de "Shanghai Writing Program 2010 © Shanghai Writers' Association