Huayu: As a child star, I just want to be famous

Chapter 31 Exchange Meeting in Progress
After a brief introduction, Iida briefly explained the schedule for the next few days.

Today we will first take a car to the booked hotel. Starting from tomorrow, expert and scholar exchange meetings and work promotion meetings will be held in turn. There will also be 1-2 days of time for visiting publishing houses in between. That’s all for the early schedule.

Chen Linfeng guessed that the next few days would be the days for discussing cooperation and holding a signing ceremony.

Then, under the guidance of the Japanese side, the exchange group went to where the bus was.

Everyone got in the car, and Yu Hua, who was sitting in the front seat, turned his head and asked, "Xiao Feng, where did you learn Neon language?"

"I study on my own when I have time. It makes it a lot easier to read Japanese books this way."

This is indeed a bit Versailles.

Yu Hua thought of the newspaper report about Chen Linfeng's memory, "Okay, I have no need to ask this question."

I couldn't help but ask, "How many languages ​​have you learned by yourself now?"

"I learned all the commonly used ones, including the six international languages, Japanese and Korean.

The rest can be learned when needed.”

Yu Hua stopped talking.

The next day, there was an opening ceremony. Chinese officials stationed abroad participated in the opening meeting. Leaders of the two countries gave speeches, and various large publishing houses and magazines talked about their determination and significance. It was quite boring.

The first day of the exchange meeting passed like this.

On the second day, everyone found someone to talk to, which was somewhat similar to a cocktail party or salon. Most of the writers in Japan knew some Chinese, and both sides were able to communicate roughly with the help of hand gestures.

Chen Linfeng understands Neon language, so he doesn't need this.

But his age is too awkward. No famous writer in Japan would be willing to communicate with him. He became an unknown person.

Next, the exchange group visited some of Japan’s publishing houses and bookstores according to the procedures arranged by the Japanese side to gain a general understanding of Japan’s literary market.

Then came the formal exchange meeting, this time a literary salon event.

It was just like the format of the Boao Forum later, where the big guys spoke at the top and the people listening below could stand up and ask questions or respond.

From the Neon side, the participants included not only the publishing houses and literary writers that Chen Linfeng had inquired about, but also some literary research societies with Neon characteristics.

For example, the Chinese Contemporary Literature Research Association, the Chinese Literature and Art Research Association, and the Tokyo Modern French Literature Research Association at Komazawa University in Tokyo.

There are also some Japanese literary translation clubs.

For example, the China Modern Literature Translation Association publishes the Quarterly China Modern Fiction, which has a great influence in Japan. This magazine currently includes more than 100 writers and nearly 300 works.

Another example is the magazine "Hotpot" whose column "Chinese Literary Figures" translates and introduces a considerable number of works by contemporary Chinese writers, poets, and critics.

Overall, Japan attaches great importance to this exchange meeting.

However, although these literary societies and research groups sound impressive, what these people promote is pure literature.

However, the sales of pure literary works are far less than that of popular literature worldwide.

Although Japan's book market gives preferential treatment to its own pure literary works and writers, it is also similar to the overall trend of the world book market, where popular literature sells better.

Their pure literature all follows the model of selling slowly over a long period of time, not to mention the pure literature works from China.

In fact, it was just as Yu Hua predicted in the airport terminal.

This time, both Chinese and Japanese publishers are targeting popular literature works.

As expected, although the bigwigs on the stage were all praising each other's outstanding writers and literary works, they seemed to attach great importance to them.

But based on Chen Linfeng's observations over the past few days, the publishing houses in Japan are only superficially enthusiastic about the works of famous domestic writers such as Yu Hua and Mo Yan, but in fact they lack interest.

Only a few small publishing houses that focus on the pure literature market have signed introduction agreements.

The operation started off badly, and the leaders of several magazines and publishing houses were worried every day, but they had no idea what to do.

The literary salon scene in the main exchange hall.

Chen Linfeng was listening to the speech of the big man on the stage with great interest. The big man who was speaking was a member of the Chinese Literature Translation Association mentioned earlier, Professor Ken Sekine of Keio University, who was introducing the current status of translation of Chinese literature in Japan.

He first affirmed the efforts of some researchers and translators in Japan.

Then the topic changed and he talked about the taboo of the Japanese publishing industry towards pure literature.

Special mention was made of a famous writer who published his opinion in a newspaper.

“In Chinese literature, I have never seen works that tell stories about the present and imagine the future like those in Europe and the United States.

However, I strongly disagree with this statement, which is equivalent to putting oneself in a condescending position. "

Chen Linfeng didn't find it strange at all when he heard this.

Although Japan has already lost 10 years and will lose another 20 or 30 years, the gap in economic strength between the two countries is still quite obvious.

It is normal for authors in Japan to look down on other countries.

It is quite rare that the professor on the stage could point this out.

As a person who has been reborn, he is not in a hurry at all. He just needs to wait for the next twenty years of China's rapid development. By then, the status will naturally be reversed.

Chen Linfeng was listening intently when he suddenly felt someone patting him on the back. It was Zhao Changtian.

"Come out with me first. I'll find you something good."

Chen Linfeng walked out of the hall and asked, "Editor-in-Chief Zhao, what happened?"

"Several major Japanese publishing houses contacted me today,"

Zhao Changtian could not hide his excitement, "Your book has been picked up. The group has been very anxious these past few days. Finally, a big publisher has made a move."

Chen Linfeng was still able to remain calm, "Which companies have taken a fancy to my novel?"

"We have people contacting Hitotsubashi Publishing Group, Otowa Group, and Kadokawa Group."

Editor Zhao saw that Chen Linfeng was a little confused, so he explained, "Hitotsubashi Publishing Group contacted Shueisha, which is under his control.

The Otowa Group is Kodansha,
The representative from Kadokawa was enterbrain, a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.

They are waiting in the conference room now."

Now I understand.

Shueisha, Kodansha and Kadokawa Shoten were all familiar names in his previous life, and Chen Linfeng felt a little surprised.

"Let's go there without delay."

Editor-in-Chief Cheng was also in the conference room. As the leader of this exchange group, he was really dissatisfied with the results achieved these days.

When he heard that Japan's three major publishing houses were interested in introducing novels published by Mengya Publishing House, he hurried over to help support the cause, not caring that this was the business of other magazines.

Chen Linfeng arrived at the conference room, and both parties sat down and learned more specific details. Only then did he know why the three publishing houses took a fancy to his novel.

It turned out that it was all thanks to the illustrations of his new book. He brought several sample books when he came, but in the end he only kept one and gave away the others.

The translator provided by Japan was also given a copy.

Who among the workers is willing to work overtime? The books are supposed to be put on the bookshelf and collect dust.

But he was attracted by the exquisite and novel style of the illustrations and wanted to see what the content was like.

As a professional translator, the young translator had a good command of Chinese and was soon immersed in the plot. He had never read such a novel Chinese novel and was immediately fascinated by it. He could not put the book down for the past few days.

The translator for the exchange meeting was sent by the publishing house. He realized that this novel might meet the requirements of the publishing house, so he reported it to his superiors at the exchange meeting.

As a result, the three major publishing houses that organized the event all knew about it at once.

(End of this chapter)