Exciting 1979!

Chapter 357 A Grand Literary Gathering, Wei Ming Stands Out
Although the door was closed, there were several English banners, so it was clear what had happened.

"Strongly protest against South Africa's participation in the exhibition!"

"We must return to our homeland! Our homeland where the war drums sound!"

"Oppose apartheid and strongly demand the release of Mandela!"

Melinda summarized: "It should be that publishers from South Africa also participated, but now the South African government is universally condemned across Africa, and publishers from other African countries protested by closing their venues."

The book fair organizers are probably in a difficult position now, because their principle is to allow any publishing company in the world to exhibit any book.

The African delegation's actions have created a disturbance. Expelling South Africa would go against the purpose of the event, but keeping South Africa would render the entire thematic exhibition useless.

"But who is this Mandela?" Melinda was a little unsure.

"Perhaps he's a fighter." Wei Ming wasn't surprised that Melinda didn't recognize Mandela.

I only learned about Mandela in the late 80s. In the early 90s, Mandela was released, gave a speech, and became president, reaching the peak of his international prestige. Then in the 21st century, he was labeled a "sinner of South Africa" ​​by some people.

Melinda worriedly said, "Won't it be closed forever? We still have plans to promote 'The Lion King'."

Wei Ming asked, "Is the South African issue receiving much international attention right now?"

“Yes,” Melinda nodded. “South Africa’s apartheid policy has caused widespread resentment and ethnic tensions have intensified. It has been sanctioned by the United Nations since the 60s and has been frequently featured in international news recently, becoming a focus of global attention. Who knows, one day the black and white people in South Africa might completely break into war.”

Despite being the former colonial power of South Africa, Britain was at the forefront of the fight against apartheid, and anti-apartheid advertisements and slogans could sometimes be seen in the media and on the streets of London.

After all, the white people who are in power in South Africa now are Boers, descendants of the Dutch, French, and Germans, who fought a lot with the British over gold mines back then.

However, the so-called sanctions imposed by the United Nations twenty years ago obviously did not seriously damage South Africa. South Africa's GDP continued to rise and became the largest in Africa. After all, the white South African government had the support of the United States and Israel, and could occasionally take action against Angola.

Wei Ming recalls that it wasn't until the mid-80s, when racial tensions in South Africa were escalating, that the United States and the Soviet Union began imposing economic sanctions on South Africa.

With two major rogue states leading the charge, countries around the world rose up against South Africa. Beset by internal and external troubles, the South African economy began to collapse, and in the early 90s, South Africa chose to release Mandela and let him take over the mess.

Wei Ming asked, "Are there any literary works about South Africa? I'd like to take a look."

Melinda unfolded the copy of the Book Trade Journal and turned to the next page: "Here is Nadine Gordimer's latest novel, The People of July. She is a South African writer who, although white, is also an anti-apartheid fighter. This novel also tells a story between races. It is published by an American publisher, and several translation rights were sold yesterday."

What Wei Ming didn't know was that Nadine Gordimer was South Africa's first Nobel laureate in Literature, mainly for her book "The People of July." She also participated in editing Mandela's famous "I Am Ready to Die" speech, which is why her works are often banned in South Africa.

Melinda: "But why are you interested in this? Didn't you say you didn't like black people..."

Wei Ming quickly covered her mouth, telling her not to say anything inappropriate or discordant.

"I just said that Chinese people value whiteness as beauty, and I like white girls like you. I can't handle black girls. When did I ever say I don't like black brothers?" As long as black brothers stay in Africa, they are all good brothers in Europe and America.

The two headed to Hall 5, where Melinda planned to see if she could find Wei Ming some books about South Africa and the current situation in Africa, preferably in English.

Africa is in complete chaos right now, with all sorts of ethnic feuds and warlord conflicts. In the end, it's all the fault of those troublemakers like Britain, the US, France, and the Soviet Union. So it's only natural and reasonable for them to bear the consequences of Africa's misdeeds, as long as they don't affect China. We haven't done any of those immoral things.

Wei Ming even wanted to add fuel to the fire of anti-apartheid movements in Africa.

Upon arriving at Hall 5, Wei Ming spotted Gong Biyang, who was signing a contract with Macmillan staff to secure the Traditional Chinese licensing rights for the picture books "The Lion King" and "Jumanji".

He also wants to sign the novel "Jurassic Park" next.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Why don't you just buy it directly from the mainland? It's simple to translate; you can just change the font."

Upon seeing Wei Ming return, Gong Biyang quickly stood up to greet him.

"Alright, let's talk about it after we've worked on these two books."

If Taiwan loosens its control, books like "Jurassic Park," "Heroes Have Always Been Born Young," and "The Terracotta Warriors: A Battle Between Ancient and Modern Times" could be produced. These books don't involve the current mainland government, so the risk factor is relatively low.

Wei Ming told Gong Biyang, "We also hope to introduce works by Taiwanese writers, such as novels by Pai Hsien-yung. You can talk to our team leader about it."

“Oh, that’s wonderful. Mr. Pai Hsien-yung and I are also very good friends.”

"Oh, I see." Wei Ming subtly distanced himself. This Gong Biyang had a round face and a full beard. Could he be a close friend of that kind?

Wei Ming knew about Pai Hsien-yung's sexual orientation. He didn't discriminate against gay people, but did Pai Hsien-yung already have a child? He was quite concerned about safety.

After Gong Biyang left, Wei Hong also came over. She chatted fluently with the Macmillan staff in English, while Wei Ming continued reading his pornographic book.

After waiting for more than an hour, Melinda came over with several books, accompanied by a white man.

I saw him from afar at yesterday's opening ceremony; he was Mr. Wei Haoshi, the chairman of the book fair.

Wei Haoshi, in his forties, with a full beard and some baldness, was in his prime. In just a few years at the Frankfurt Book Fair, he created a themed pavilion, brought China, a market worth billions, back to the fair, and increased the fair's sales volume by more than 10% every year, making it increasingly influential internationally.

Just now, after his persuasion, 400 publishing houses from 32 African countries finally agreed to give him face and close the museum for only one day, reopening tomorrow.

Melinda happened to run into Wei Haoshi and mentioned the closure of Hall 7. Wei Haoshi quickly apologized, explaining that it was something that had been arranged with Macmillan Publishers long ago, but they had made a wasted trip.

He made an appointment with Melinda to hold the event as scheduled the next day, and he would attend in person. As they walked, the two arrived outside Hall 5. Melinda asked Wei Haoshi to go to the Macmillan booth to give some guidance and introduce him to Wei Ming, since they both have the surname Wei.

For an author from a non-English speaking country to gain global recognition, in addition to their own writing skills and the quality of the translator, two other things are very important: awards and book fairs.

Therefore, Melinda also intended to help Wei Ming and Wei Haoshi, the first person to attend the book fair, to get along well.

Wei Haoshi was also very curious about Wei Ming. He was a writer who not only spanned both children's literature and serious literature, but was also an outstanding musician. Even in Germany, one could often hear his two songs with Sarah Brightman, which were indeed of a very high standard.

Now he was even more curious about Wei Ming, because Melinda told him that the books about South Africa she had were for Wei Ming to read.

So, Mr. Why, why?

Wei Ming took the books: "I am considered to have a lot of reading in China and have seen a lot of international news, but I didn't know before that there are tens of millions of black people in South Africa who suffer unfair treatment. Eighty percent of the population is confined to ten percent of the land. I am just a nobody and may not be able to do much, but at least I can understand and not be a fool. When I see those banners, I can have a clear stance."

Wei Haoshi nodded in surprise: "You are quite different from the other Chinese people in Germany I know. They are honest and down-to-earth, and seem not to be very interested in the world. They only care about the things around them. But you, Mr. Why, have a broad international perspective. No wonder you can write excellent works that are recognized worldwide."

“In fact, many college students in China are energetic, full of curiosity and eager to explore. They just don’t have the opportunity to go out and see the world,” Wei Ming said, waving the book in his hand. “As someone who can go out, perhaps I can tell them about the world I have seen.”

As he said this, Wei Ming felt a slight stirring in his heart. He had already been abroad twice. Could he write some truthful articles about foreign countries, unbiased, fair and objective?

That way, at least in the future, when young people see those irrational articles in "Reader" and "Youth Digest," someone will be able to stand up and say, "But Professor Wei Ming wrote an article saying that big cities in Germany also experience flooding when it rains, and not every Japanese person drinks toilet water!"

As Wei Ming was pondering this, Wei Haoshi clapped his hands and said, "Well said! This is the significance of book exchange, and it's what the Frankfurt Book Fair wants to see. We hope more books will be translated into Chinese, and we also hope to see Chinese books go global."

After discussing the value of the book, Wei Haoshi extended an invitation to Wei Ming, saying that Günter Grass would be holding a meet-and-greet at the book fair that afternoon.

Günter Grass is a prominent figure in West German literature today, and Weiss invited several internationally renowned writers to participate.

Wei Ming was not among those invited, after all, he is now more of a children's literature writer, while Günter Grass's literature is serious and vigorous.

Günter Grass, born in 1927, is a future Nobel laureate. Last year, the German film "The Tin Drum," adapted from his novel of the same name, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also previously won the Palme d'Or, the highest honor at Cannes.

Fearing that Wei Ming might not recognize Günter Grass, Wei Haoshi made a point of introducing the man's achievements, noting that he was not only a writer, poet, and painter, but also a politician.

Wei Ming didn't know that much about it, but he was quite familiar with "The Tin Drum," which was one of his favorite German films and he had watched it more than once.

"So, Mr. Why, would you like to come and listen too?"

"Of course," Wei Ming readily agreed.

Next, Wei Ming began reading works such as Nadine Gordimer's "The World of Strangers," which Melinda had found for him. The latest, "The People of July," could only be viewed at the publishing company's booth.

Although Wei Ming had just said some impressive things, Melinda felt it wasn't that simple. In the afternoon, in the exhibition hall.

Because non-professionals were allowed into the book fair in the afternoon, Günter Grass's meet-and-greet attracted a large crowd and was a lively affair.

Haruki Murakami is one of them.

Haruki Murakami, 32, has only recently entered the literary world. While writing novels, he also works as a translator, having just translated F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Lost Hour" into Japanese.

Fitzgerald may sound unfamiliar, but almost everyone knows his "The Great Gatsby" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

As an artistic youth, Haruki Murakami traveled to Frankfurt at his own expense with a pilgrimage mentality.

Günter Grass's "The Tin Drum" is one of his favorite works, so when he heard that Grass was coming, he came to join in the fun.

At this time, Günter Grass had already announced his retirement from the literary world and would focus on sculpture and painting in the future. However, he still had a great influence in the German and European literary circles. Weiss personally organized the event, and several well-known writers from Britain and the United States came.

Wei Ming didn't recognize any of them. There is a certain lag in the introduction of foreign works into China. He might not be able to see the popular European and American literature of this era for decades. He might have already read their works, but he wouldn't be able to match the works with the authors.

They had all heard of Mr. Why.

Günter Grass was also curious about this young Chinese face. He patiently finished his speech about his literary philosophy and why he was temporarily leaving the literary scene. When it came time for the writers to talk freely, the host introduced the other writers one by one, and finally it was Wei Ming's turn.

Upon hearing that he was a writer from China, Grass said to him, "I just visited China with my wife two years ago, and we even went to Yenching. My wife is an organist and was invited to perform."

Was it 1979?

"Yes, it was October 1979, I remember it was after China's National Day."

"Coincidentally, I had just arrived in Yanjing at that time and had just published a short story." Wei Ming answered fluently in English, which immediately won him favor.

Glass asked, "Is it also children's literature? I heard you're a children's literature author."

"No, no, no, it's about China's reform and opening up. I write all kinds of works, including children's literature, serious literature, science fiction, and even martial arts novels."

John Irving, from the United States, was somewhat incredulous: "Brother, how old are you?"

British young writer Martin Amis said: "He looks like he's in his early twenties, but he's a prolific writer. Didn't you see today's Book Trade Journal? He brought over a dozen novels and sold dozens of rights in one day. And he's also an excellent musician. I'm a fan of yours, Mr. Why."

Wei Ming smiled and thanked him, then replied to John Irving: "I write a lot because I read a lot, think a lot, and have plenty of material around me. But lately I feel like I don't have enough material, so I have to get out and about more often."

“It seems you have a good reading volume. Have you read ‘Jin Pingmei’?” Günter Grass asked.

This question made Wei Hong, who understood English, blush. This old man was really just looking for trouble. My brother is a man of integrity. He reads the Spring and Autumn Annals. How could he have read such a book!

"Of course, this is a rare gem of ancient Chinese literature. My friend even has an illustrated edition from the Qing Dynasty."

Seeing Wei Ming speak like this, instead of making excuses and hesitating, Glass was very happy; this was not a typical Chinese person.

This extraordinary book from the Ming Dynasty was translated into English as "Jinlian" by Clement Egerton of the United Kingdom. This version has spread widely around the world. The popularity of "Jinpingmei" is no less than that of "Dream of the Red Chamber", and its spread may even be higher because of its simplicity and colloquialism.

Therefore, Günter Grass not only read it, but also drew inspiration from The Golden Lotus in some of the explicit descriptions when he wrote The Tin Drum, which of course also brought him some controversy.

Wei Ming wanted to get an English translation of "Golden Lotus" for this trip abroad, because when the translator translated this novel, Mr. Lao She was teaching in London and provided a lot of help to Clement. He even wrote on the title page, "Dedicated to my friend Shu Qingchun," and said that he would not have dared to take on this job without Shu Qingchun's help.

This is yet another little-known fact in the translation world: the novels and authors that one loves have such a connection. Wei Ming heard this from Mr. Ye, who was a close friend of Lao She. However, Mr. Lao She dared not publicize this after returning to China, so few Chinese people know about it.

Originally, the conversation was about literature, but seeing that Wei Ming had also read it and seemed to have studied it quite extensively, Glass immediately brought up "The Golden Lotus," clearly indicating that he highly praised the book.

Wei Ming felt this was a good opportunity, so he followed up on the topic and talked about the achievements of Chinese Ming and Qing novels, hoping to attract the attention of the foreign publishers present and encourage them to not only focus on the Four Great Classical Novels and "Jinlian," but also to explore other classic Chinese works.

Even now, there isn't a complete English translation of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." We'll have to wait another ten or twenty years for Minford to take on the task.

"Actually, my earliest famous fairy tale, 'The Legend of the Heavenly Book,' was based on an ancient book from the Ming Dynasty called 'The Tale of the Demon Slayer.' Now, Penguin Books has acquired the English translation rights to this novel, and the BBC has also invested in producing an animated film of the same name. I don't know whether the animated film will be released sooner or the English translation will be released sooner."

Wei Ming doesn't miss any opportunity to advertise, and he doesn't even know if the BBC has sent a reporter over.

The main character of this meeting was definitely Günter Grass, but Wei Ming could be considered a supporting actor with a significant role, while the other British and American writers could only play minor supporting roles and extras.

Wei Ming was secretly pleased with his spoken English, but Wei Hong was a little unhappy. Her older brother had actually read those kinds of books. Could he have even done those kinds of things?

Wei Ming's performance also left a deep impression on Haruki Murakami, who was just entering the literary world, and at this time he almost became a representative of Asian literature.

It's a pity that I didn't even know this name before. It seems I've been too negligent in my understanding of the literary development of my neighbor.

However, with so many English and Japanese licenses sold for Wei Ming's works, I'll soon be able to see his work myself.

That evening, Wei Ming and Melinda checked the accounts. He had sold about ten more copyrights. Although it wasn't as explosive as the first day, he might still be able to lead the book fair.

On the third day of the book fair, Macmillan began setting up booths for The Lion King in Hall 7.

As the best-selling work currently telling stories of the African continent, with 500 million copies sold worldwide, Wei Ming has also been unanimously welcomed by African publishers and writers, at least on the surface.

Protesting South Africa is one thing, but African publishers also want to make money.

Moreover, the appearance of Wei Haoshi, the chairman of the book fair, also helped to bring Wei Ming and his African brothers closer together.

So after the performance showcasing the close ties between China and Africa, The Lion King received orders from several publishers that day for English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic versions, a considerable number.

During this process, Wei Ming roughly remembered which countries used which Western languages, thus being able to deduce which old capitalist countries they had entangled with.

Just as Wei Ming was enjoying himself with his African friends, singing and dancing, a group of people at Beijing Yanjing International Airport received a lot of attention from the airport staff.

Wearing Chengdu Zoo uniforms, Lao Wei and Xu Shufen watched as other staff members carefully removed the iron cage from the plane.

Feeling sorry for Gangdan, Lao Wei quickly went over to say a few words to it, encouraging it and promising it delicious food.

Just yesterday, Hong Kong sent a telegram to the mainland, expressing its warm welcome to the giant pandas to visit Hong Kong and provide guidance.

However, Gangdan hasn't found a suitable wife yet, so the people of Hong Kong can only wait and see for now.

To facilitate the work of Wei Jiefang, the father of pandas, Sichuan decided to transport Gangdan to Yanjing and temporarily entrust him to the Yanjing Zoo for adoption.

Accompanying them were Xu Yunyun's maternal grandmother and aunt, who came to help her during her postpartum period. She hadn't given birth yet, but it would be soon.

Only after the giant pandas disembarked from the plane could people get off. Xu Shufen was waiting to go home with her mother and sister-in-law. She had been staying in Chengdu for nearly half a month and had been longing for home for a long time.

As for Lao Wei, he definitely has to go to the zoo to make sure Gangdan settles in. Who knows if the Beijing Zoo has arranged a private room for Gangdan? Who knows if the local pandas are polite or if they will bully pandas from other places?

The Chengdu Zoo staff member who was with him in transporting the steel eggs laughed and said, "Uncle Wei, don't worry. The giant pandas in Yanjing also come from Sichuan and speak Sichuan dialect. How can they exclude the pandas from their hometown?"

Old Wei retorted, "What do you know? Some idiots have been in the capital for too long and think they're all the big shots there. They speak with an 'er' suffix and it's no wonder they look down on their poor relatives in the countryside. I'm not going home tonight; I'll spend the night with Gangdan."

Old Wei wasn't going home, and there were no children there either. However, Xu Shufen had made arrangements. Her mother and sister-in-law had heard about "Mom, Love Me Again" several times along the way, as well as the "Southern Gongxue and Northern Zhu Lin" trope. They wanted to see how Southern Gongxue could make people cry.

Xu Shufen waved her hand and said, "Arrange it!"

As it turned out, something terrible happened. After watching the movie, Wei Ming's grandmother thought of her youngest daughter, whose fate was unknown, and cried all the way home from the movie theater, unable to stop no matter how much she was comforted.

Xu Shufen was frightened by what she saw. After thinking it over, she finally made a phone call.

"Hello, is this Xiaoxue?"

(End of this chapter)