Peace Fable

Author: Yan Lianke
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Since the 1980s, with the development of China's reform and opening-up, the impact and influence of global literary trends, contemporary Chinese literature has undergone unprecedented variation and development. As the primary marker of this variation and development, the landscape of contemporary Chinese literature has shifted from closed to open, from singular to diverse, from narrow to expansive, with unique choices giving way to a multitude of options. Realism remains the mainstream of contemporary Chinese literature, but beyond realism, various artistic explorations and experiments have emerged, creating a pluralistic artistic landscape in the realm of contemporary Chinese literature dominated by realism. Despite interference and even constraints, the artistic creativity of writers and the overall productivity of literature have indeed achieved unprecedented liberation and development. Looking back at the variation and development of Chinese literature since the 1980s, we are filled with deep nostalgia, but we place even greater hope in the coming decades of the 21st century. We believe that future literature will undoubtedly undergo further, better, and greater variation and development. Cross-Century Literary Series was born at the intersection of two centuries. It will integrate the new achievements of 20th-century literature, particularly the variations in Chinese literature since the 1980s, to carry forward the legacy and pioneer a new framework for 21st-century Chinese literature, contributing its modest efforts. It will herald the dawn of the new century's literature. Cross-Century Literary Series will be inclusive, regularly releasing new creative works by contemporary Chinese writers, primarily in fiction but also encompassing essays, poetry, documentary literature, literary treatises, and more. Without regard to the fame or ranking of the writers, the length of the works, as long as they are creative achievements, will be appropriately accepted. Cross-Century Literary Series will be rooted in the present while looking to the future, upholding the tradition of realism in Chinese literature while also advocating openness, exploration, and diversity. In its selection criteria, it will adhere to the principle of combining aesthetics and history, valuing not only literary merit but also the cultural depth, historical significance, and intellectual strength of the works. It will prioritize artistic innovation while also considering the reading needs and expectations of the audience.