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Novelist Zhang Jie was introduced to the media this week as one of China’s leading writers. She gave a speech that revealed some of her thoughts on the modernisation and opening up of the Chinese book market. Some of the ideas may have resonance for many of us in the West.
Zhang Jie believes the market for literature has changed significantly in China.
‘Thirty years ago, publishing houses would carefully and discretely consider the literary seriousness of a book before they decided to publish it,’ she said at a media event earlier this week. ‘Nowadays, the publishing of books is mainly controlled by booksellers. In the bookseller’s view, literary seriousness should be neglected, the market value is the most important factor, and a group of controllers directs writers and tells them what and how to write … What’s more, with the cooperation of the recreational media, any vulgar book can be publicised as a great one.’
Zhang Jie confessed such a trend has almost extinguished her interest in reading. Then, in 2006, she started to discover German writers such as Thomas Hettsche, Jakob Hein and Juli Zeh, and rediscovered her love of reading.
Notwithstanding this, Zhang Jie finds the new information age is a double-edged sword.
‘It brings an age of snack culture and pleasure seeking. In such an age, a civilised culture cannot survive … People do not love thinking as deeply as before. Instead, they pursue a comfortable life, yearn for more wealth and fame, and even sell their freedom to enjoyment.’
That all this was said while Zhang Jie was sitting alongside Li Dongdong, Vice Minister of China’s General Administration of Press and Publication makes me look forward to hearing more forthright views from China’s writers next year, when the country will be Guest of Honour.
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