A History of Literature in the Song Dynasty (Vol. 1 and 2)

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-09-01
Features: In the history of Chinese literature, the Song Dynasty is a very important stage. Song Dynasty literature inherited and inspired the preceding dynasties while possessing a distinct and unique style. Whether in terms of its overall achievements or the performance of various literary genres, it is worthy of comparison with the Tang Dynasty literature in brilliance. A History of Song Dynasty Literature (Volume 1 and 2) can serve as a reference book for literary research, university teaching, and other cultural work. Literary history is an important discipline within the broader field of literary studies. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, collective works compiled by major universities and research institutions, as well as individual works by experts, have been published as histories of Chinese literature, each with its own characteristics. Some of these works have had significant influence. However, there is still a lack of a comprehensive, multi-volume literary history. To address this gap, in accordance with the National Philosophy and Social Sciences "Six-Five" Plan, the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has organized relevant units and experts to compile a 14-volume Comprehensive History of Chinese Literature, aiming to serve as a reference for literary research, university teaching, and other cultural work.
Based on the long-standing practice of literary history research, to facilitate the compilers' expertise while considering the convenience of readers, this book is divided into ten volumes, fourteen in total: A History of Pre-Qin Literature, A History of Qin and Han Literature, A History of Wei and Jin Literature, A History of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, A History of Tang Dynasty Literature (Volume 1 and 2), A History of Song Dynasty Literature (Volume 1 and 2), A History of Yuan Dynasty Literature, A History of Ming Dynasty Literature (Volume 1 and 2), A History of Qing Dynasty Literature (Volume 1 and 2), and A History of Modern Literature. Each volume is self-contained yet appropriately coordinated with others, forming a comprehensive literary history when combined or individual when separated.
The general requirement for the compilation of this book is to elaborate on the fundamental aspects of ancient and modern Chinese literature under the guidance of Marxism. It calls for rich and detailed materials, accurate and thorough narration, and a scientific and comprehensive evaluation of writers and works, thereby clarifying the historical processes and relationships of inheritance and development among various literary phenomena. Due to various subjective and objective conditions, the actual work may fall short of these requirements, and errors or inaccuracies in the book are inevitable. We sincerely hope that scholars, experts, and readers at home and abroad will kindly point out any shortcomings.
Below is an explanation of some specific issues in the compilation process.
1. The Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is responsible for the overall editing, with the participation of Peking University and Nanjing Normal University.
2. The compilation methods for each volume are not uniform, adopting a chief editor or compiler responsibility system.
3. A compilation committee has been established to coordinate the work of each volume and oversee the quality review. The committee includes a chairman and vice chairman responsible for handling relevant matters.
4. The compilation committee has invited three renowned experts from each collaborating unit to serve as consultants for the entire book.
5. The content and format of each volume are relatively independent while subordinate to the unified compilation guidelines of the entire book. The division, connection, and necessary cross-references within the content have all been discussed and negotiated.
6. The literature of ethnic minorities is an integral part of the history of Chinese literature. Due to various reasons, this book only discusses a small number of classical works by ethnic minority writers written in Chinese. The Institute of Ethnic Minority Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is currently compiling a series of A History of Chinese Ethnic Minority Literature. Once published, it will serve as a complementary reference to this book. In the future, when conditions are ripe and this book is revised significantly, additional content on this subject will be considered.