Selected Works of Wang Zengqi

Author: Wang Zengqi / Lu Jianhua (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: This book primarily features selected representative works of Wang Zengqi's popular short stories and prose, with appropriate selections of his poems and letters. In Wang Zengqi's new and old poems, his insights into life and discoveries of beauty in life are consistent with his novels and essays. His letters, on the other hand, offer a unique perspective into the true of Wang Zengqi's inner world and the creative process behind some of his works. These selections are sure to interest and appeal to readers. 【Wang Zengqi】 (1920–1997) was a modern and contemporary writer from Gaoyou, Jiangsu. In 1939, he enrolled in the Chinese Department of Southwest Associated University in Kunming, where he was deeply influenced by Shen Congwen, who taught writing. He began publishing short stories in 1940. After graduating from university in 1943, he worked as a Chinese teacher in middle schools and as a staff member at the Kunming Historical Museum in Kunming and Shanghai. Starting in 1946, he published short stories such as "The Cartwright," "Revenge," "Green Cat," and "Experts in Poultry and Pigeons" in magazines like Literature Magazine, Cultural Renaissance, and Cultural Spring, which garnered attention in the literary world. After 1950, he worked at the Beijing Writers' Association and the Chinese Folk Literature Research Association, editing publications such as Beijing Literature and Folk Literature. In 1962, he was transferred to the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe (later renamed the Beijing Peking Opera Theater) as a scriptwriter. He wrote collections of short stories such as Encounters, Evenings at the Goat Shed, Selected Short Stories of Wang Zengqi, The Flowers of Dinner Time, Loneliness and Warmth, and The Dogwood Collection, as well as collections of essays like The Bridge over Puzhao, Notes from the Tower, and Late Green Literary Talks. He also compiled Wang Zengqi's Self-Selected Works and wrote some Peking Opera scripts. His short stories "Blessed by Fasting" and "The Story of the Great Marsh" were award-winning works. His works have been translated into multiple languages and introduced abroad. He wrote novels in the style of essays, capturing the local customs, people, and landscapes of his hometown, rich in regional characteristics. His works exude a sense of solemnity amidst lightness and reveal extraordinary depth in simplicity, with a lyrical and elegant charm.