Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 335: Zhang Chao is not on the list?
【Recently, multiple sources confirmed that the China Writers Association is preparing to send a delegation of young writers to Japan for exchanges. It is reported that the members of this delegation are selected from the nominees of the "Mao Dun Literature Newcomer Award" and plan to systematically learn the creative concepts and industrial experience of Japanese literature through field visits and academic seminars.

If the Nobel Prize in Literature is compared to the Olympics of the literary world, Japan has already won gold and silver medals with famous figures such as Kenzaburo Oe and Yasunari Kawabata, while China is still lingering outside the qualifying round.

"This is not only a gap in creative ability, but also a generation gap in the literary system." Yuichi Nakamura, editor-in-chief of Waseda University Press, gave an example: "The training cycle for editors of Japanese literary journals is as long as ten years. They can accurately judge which works retain their local characteristics and have the potential for international dissemination. Chinese editors are still worried about the bestseller list."

Kentaro Sato, a professor at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo, said in an email interview with this newspaper: "Although Chinese literature has made breakthroughs in business in recent years, it is still immature in narrative ethics, insight into human nature and global expression. The loneliness that transcends culture in Haruki Murakami's works and Keigo Higashino's pathological sections of modern society are both worthy of in-depth study by Chinese colleagues."

During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty in China, Japan, which was in the early stages of its civilization, repeatedly sent "envoys to the Tang Dynasty" to China to learn advanced culture, technology, and systems, which eventually made Japanese civilization an indispensable and important part of the East Asian Confucian cultural circle.

Today, Japanese literature has long been at the top of Asia - in the past decade, it has been nominated for more than 400 international literary awards, and has exported more than 2 overseas copyrights annually; the number of translated versions of Haruki Murakami's single work exceeds the total of the top ten contemporary Chinese literature; on the Frankfurt Book Fair's "Asian Literature Potential List", Japan's new generation of writers occupy 20 of the top 10 seats, with only 2 from China.

Therefore, the visit of the young writers delegation to Japan this time is just like the visit of the Japanese "Tang Envoys" to China more than a thousand years ago, which can be called "Emperors to Japan". When the Japanese envoys to Tang Dynasty copied the "Selected Works" in Chang'an Imperial College, they probably did not expect that the roles would be reversed a thousand years later. But this is not a "humiliation" for Chinese literature, but a humble attitude necessary in the evolution of civilization.

History always creates dramatic cycles. In 804 AD, monk Kukai traveled west with the Tang envoys and transformed Wang Xizhi's calligraphy into Japanese kana characters; soon, young Chinese writers will stand in Tokyo bookstores and gaze at the grand occasion of Hayao Miyazaki's animations and Murakami's novels occupying the bestseller list, and they may truly understand what "cultural soft power" is.

I believe that if the young writers' delegation can visit Japan this time, it will not only be a new starting point for mutual learning among civilizations, but also a strategic opportunity for Chinese literature to make up for its shortcomings in modernization.

Interestingly, Zhang Chao, who is famous for best-selling books such as "Glory of a Criminal Policeman", may have missed the delegation because he was not nominated for the "Mao Dun Literature Newcomer Award".

According to insiders, in addition to this reason, it is also related to the controversial evaluation that it is "indulging in market interests" and "lacking international vision." An anonymous person from the Writers Association said euphemistically: "Literary exchanges require an inclusive mind, but the core team must represent the future direction of Chinese literature."

(The author of this article, Sun Liangyi, is a visiting scholar at Kyoto University and has participated in the project "Research on Japan's Modern Literature Industry")

……

"What do you think of this article?" Zhang Chao said to his junior classmates who were generally several years older than him, standing on the podium of the 7th "Luyuan Advanced Training Class for Young and Middle-aged Writers".

The appearance of this article was not unexpected to Zhang Chao. After all, there were nearly 20 people attending the Writers Association meeting, and each of the participants had their own social circles. It was not a confidential matter, so it was not surprising that it was exposed by reporters.

However, the content is somewhat debatable, so Zhang Chao specifically brought it to class for discussion.

"...I want to ask, is it true that you were not selected for the delegation?" Ma Tianmu raised her hand and asked. She was the first prize winner of the third "New Concept Essay Competition" and also had a name, "Ma Xiaotao".

Zhang Chao said frankly: "I am indeed not on the preliminary list of the delegation, and I don't think I will be included in the final list. This time the delegation was indeed mainly selected from the shortlisted nominees of the "Mao Dun Literature Newcomer Award".

Since I declined the nomination for this award, I will of course stick to it, so I will not shamelessly be included in it. "

This answer caused a small commotion at the scene. Zhang Chao was not included in the list of young writers visiting Japan, which was beyond the expectations of everyone present - if Zhang Chao was not there, I'm afraid it could only be called the "Young Writers Group", right?

However, this news has been confirmed by Zhang Chao himself, so it should be the final answer.

Zhang Chao did not want to explain more about this matter, and continued: "Putting aside the fact that I did not participate in this matter - this article said that this delegation of young writers visiting Japan is a 'missionary to Japan' to learn advanced literary systems and industrial experience from Japan and promote the progress and development of domestic literature. Do you think it makes sense?"

The classroom fell into silence.

Many of the students in this "Advanced Research Class" are young writers in their 20s and early 30s, and it is even jokingly called the "New Concept Writing Competition Class." Although everyone is not that shrewd, the ending of the article clearly praises or criticizes Zhang Chao, so they were embarrassed to express their opinions before knowing Zhang Chao's attitude.

The old-fashioned ceiling fan hanging in the Luyuan classroom made a slight humming sound, and the hot August air, carrying the fresh smell of ink, circulated among dozens of young writers.

"Let me speak first." Shan Yongzhen, a poet from the Northwest, suddenly stood up. He is one of the older students in this "Advanced Research Class", nearly 40 years old, with sharp features and dark skin, and he looks particularly simple and resolute.

Shan Yongzhen's accent has a distinct regional flavor, but it's still easy to understand: "I have subscribed to World Literature at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles for fifteen years. Not only is there a special issue on Japan every two or three years, but even when it's not a special issue on Japan, Japanese literature sometimes occupies a quarter of the content.

Last year, the magazine published a special issue on Yukio Mishima, with more notes than the main text. Look at him, even though he committed seppuku, he was still able to write "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" to an unattainable aesthetic height.

What about us? A writer who writes about a wave of layoffs is criticized for having a "gloomy tone". Oh, by the way, Mo Yan's "Red Sorghum" was based on Mishima's novel, right?

So although I haven’t studied any Japanese writers, it’s always good for young people to go out and see the world - it’s better to have more references when creating than to work in isolation.”

Once someone starts a discussion, it's like the cork of a beer barrel is pulled out, and the rest of the discussion just gushes out.

Lu Min, a female writer from Jiangsu, spoke up. Her voice was as gentle and mellow as the plum rain in the south of the Yangtze River: "Teacher Shan is overstating the matter. Whether it is literature or painting, mutual reference in aesthetics is a very common thing, and it is not easy to judge the superiority of such things.

It is true that Mr. Mo Yan may have referred to Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" when writing "Red Sorghum", but in "Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out", which was published last year, the magical narrative of the six realms of reincarnation, I am afraid there is no other Japanese writer who can write with such writing skills?

And let’s not be misled by this article—literature is not the Olympics, where we have to divide it into gold, silver, and bronze medals.”

"But the market will be divided!" Ma Lijun suddenly interrupted. The oilfield writer who used to be a book dealer raised his mobile phone: "When Japanese writers and works enter China, our book market will always treat them as honored guests. If it is Haruki Murakami or Junichi Watanabe, it will be even more amazing. The new translated books will be respectfully placed in the most conspicuous position at the entrance of the bookstore. But what about Chinese novels in Japan? In the 20s, the cultural organizations of the two countries did hold an event called "Chinese novels landed in Japan", launching more than Chinese novels in Japan at once, but within half a year, these novels were placed together with "Chinese cuisine" in bookstores, such as "Dumpling Encyclopedia" and "Illustrated Sichuan Cuisine".

People treat us as cultural products, and yet we are still arguing about the superiority of literature? So this gap exists objectively, and it cannot be covered up by saying "regardless of superiority or inferiority"! "

In just ten minutes, two completely different positions emerged in the classroom - this was also what Zhang Chao hoped to see.

From his personal perspective, whether Chinese literature lags behind Japanese literature is not worth discussing. First of all, creation is a highly specialized artistic activity, and there is no direct connection between the overall level and the individual level.

Secondly, he does not believe that whether or not a country wins the Nobel Prize in Literature, or how its literature ranks in the world, can represent the rise and fall of a country and the cultural quality of its people. South America can produce several literature award winners; Marquez, Vargas Llosa, and Neruda are masters among masters - but probably few Chinese want to be Colombians.

Zhang Chao wanted to explore the spiritual corner of contemporary Chinese writers through this discussion, and also wanted to break some obsessions through the discussion. He was very happy that at least no one simply denied the term "Japanese envoy" as a derogatory symbol.

He picked up the chalk and wrote a line on the blackboard, reading as he wrote: "Pay attention, the focus of the discussion is the core argument of this article - whether Chinese literature can only rely on actions such as 'sending Japan' to complete its transformation or upgrade."

"I agree with 70% of the article's views." Dai Yuexing - also known as Yan Ge - brushed his iconic bangs and said in a clear voice: "What is really worth learning from Japanese literature is the spirit of craftsmanship. It is said that the editors of Kodansha dare to let new writers revise 27 drafts before publishing, while our editors can't even check for typos. The gap in professionalism is too big. But -"

She changed the subject: "Excluding you from the delegation is like sending an envoy to the Tang Dynasty without Kukai. They are doomed to fail to retrieve the true scriptures."

Sporadic laughter broke out in the classroom. Huo Yan suddenly raised her hand. This young lady, who won the first prize in the 4th New Concept Essay Competition, graduated from the Literature Department of the Beijing Film Academy and was known for her academics, spoke with a sharp tone:
"Have we overlooked an essential issue? When we discuss the significance of 'sending to Japan', whether we affirm or deny it, we have already assumed that the modernity of literature is equal to Westernness. Why has no one proposed to organize 'sending to Africa' to learn the oral literature of Swahili?
But in terms of "literary modernity", Japan is just a middleman. They just put together Kafka, Marquez, Proust and others, put them in a Japanese dessert box, and then tell people that this is "the most advanced literature in Asia".

This is why literary criticism circles in Europe and America particularly recognize Japanese literature. But from a professional perspective, I really don’t think Japanese literature is that good—let alone that Japanese literature is five times better than Chinese literature—as shown in the Frankfurt Book Fair’s “Asian Literature Potential List.”

Zhang Chao's eyes lit up. Huo Yan's point of view was indeed unique and brought this discussion into deep waters.

"But this snack box is sold all over the world! Packaging is also a kind of literature!" Bi Liang, a "literary self-employed person" who works in a private publishing company, couldn't help but refute:

"Let's not talk about such a high-level word as 'modernity', let's talk about publishing - the Japanese paperback edition, 64-mo, is priced at 800 yen, which is not cheap when converted into RMB, but the cost is only 60% of that in China, but readers are willing to pay for it - because they have unique features from design to printing.

I once suggested that publishers imitate Japanese paperback editions and put more effort into design, but do you know what the editor-in-chief said? "Chinese readers' cognitive level is not up to par yet, so they don't need it." So is it that we are not as skilled as others, or do we have low self-esteem?

When we learn from Japan, it is not necessarily about learning how they write, but it may be more important to learn how they package themselves! "

Zhang Chao was happy, and a new point of view emerged. Indeed, the "appearance" of Chinese publications is still very rough - from cover design to book binding, it is not even as good as some backward countries.

At this time, crisp applause came from the back of the classroom. A Kangba man wearing a Tibetan robe with half of his Buddhist beads hanging from his sleeves stood up. His name was Lobsang Tsering, and his voice was as clear as the melting water from the snowy mountains: "In LS Bajiao Street, Indian incense, Nepalese bronze ware and Yiwu small commodities are all placed in the same shop. Tourists think they are all the same, they are all our local culture.

But I feel anxious. This is a kind of commodity homogenization driven by money - after all, is the purpose of studying "Japanese literature" to become the second "Japanese literature"?

If the 'Japanese envoys' bring back a 'literary development template' that is like an 'answer template' for an exam, then I'll just go home and herd yaks!"

"But templates can bring people to life!" Bi Liang was excited. "A few years ago, we introduced the Japanese romance novel "Love Letter", which was reprinted. The first print run of 30,000 copies sold out in one week. The local literature published at the same time also had a love theme - I won't say which one - the first print run of 5,000 copies is still gathering dust in the warehouse. Do you know what the editor said? 'Nowadays, novels with some Japanese elements will sell better!'

We can be imaginative when discussing literature, but if we want to really go into the market, how can we do it without learning from others? "

Zhou Jianing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. This Shanghai writer who graduated from the Chinese Department of Fudan University said, "In 2003, I attended an "Asian Young Writers Forum" and an editor from Japan asked me, 'Why doesn't China have its own Haruki Murakami?'

My answer was, "Because we have Wang Anyi." At the time, it was just a hasty response, but now I think the question itself is like asking why there is no Oriental Pearl Tower in Tokyo - if literature insists on pursuing the "second to someone", it is the real spiritual surrender. "

The classroom fell into silence again. The students, who were unable to convince each other, all looked at Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao sorted out the discussion and said, “First, when we use Nobel Prizes, overseas sales, and derivative product output as the yardsticks for measuring the value of literature, are we turning literature into a financial statement of a publishing company or culture?

As the biggest beneficiary of the cultural company "Tide Culture", I personally have no objection to this - but if this is true, then the people going to Japan this time should not be "young writers" but "young editors", right? "

A low laugh rang out in the classroom, and Bi Liang blushed, but he still apologized sincerely: "I'm sorry, I just strayed from the topic. Maybe my experience as an editor has influenced me, making me tend to look at the value of literature from an editor's perspective."

Zhang Chao smiled and nodded, saying, "It's okay. Professional editors and excellent writers complement each other. It was under the urging of his editor that Fitzgerald completed the novel The Great Gatsby.

——Back to the article itself, as Huo Yan just said, "The modernity of literature is equal to Westernness." Then, "Is the modernity of Japanese literature also Western modernity?" Is it really worth learning and drawing lessons from for Chinese writers? "

……

Just as Zhang Chao was teaching the students with sweat all over his forehead, a leisurely middle-aged man was sitting in the reception room of Lu Academy, drinking tea and enjoying the air conditioning.

He is Sun Liangyi, the author of "The Writers Association may send a "Literary Envoy to Japan" to visit Japan and bring back valuable experience for Chinese literature." He came here to interview Zhang Chao and ask the key question:
How do you feel about not being included in the "Young Writers Delegation Visiting Japan"?
(End of this chapter)