Research Materials on Famous Chinese Editors and Publishers of the 20th Century (Complete 10 Volumes)

Author: Song Yingli
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: This book consists of 10 volumes, featuring 54 individuals who have founded or led influential publishing institutions domestically and internationally, made unique contributions to publishing concepts or important publishing fields, dedicated most of their lives to full-time or part-time publishing work, and have since passed away. Notable figures include Zhang Yuanji, Shu Xincheng, etc. Research materials for each individual are selected from thousands of published books and periodicals over nearly a century, arranged in the order of the individual's own writings, family recollections, and research works. Compiled by Song Yingli, Yuan Xisheng, and Liu Xiaomin, and published by Henan University Press in September 2005, this is one of the first research projects approved by the China Editors' Association. The 10-volume, large-scale publishing history literature collection Research Materials on Famous Chinese Editors and Publishers of the 20th Century was recently launched by Henan University Press in one go. This is another significant achievement by the three compilers, following their publication of the 8-volume Contemporary Chinese Publishing Materials at the end of the last century. The entire collection includes research materials on 54 outstanding Chinese publishers of the 20th century, with over 600 selected entries and more than 1,000 listed, totaling 4.25 million words. Each individual's research materials include their own discourses, family recollections, and research works, disclosing a wealth of extremely valuable historical facts while also providing a concentrated overview of the main research achievements to date. The figures included in the book range from the renowned pioneers of modern Chinese publishing, such as Zhang Yuanji, Lu Feikui, and Gao Mengdan, to the influential figures like Chen Duxiu, Wang Yunwu, Zou Taofen, and Hu Yuzhi. There are also those whose academic and creative achievements overshadowed their publishing contributions, such as Hu Shi, Lu Xun, Feng Xuelong, Mao Dun, and Ye Shengtao. Additionally, there are those who lived modestly and remained largely unknown, willingly "making wedding garments for others" — Zhou Zhenfu, Zhao Jiabi, Qin Zhaoyang, and Long Shihui, among others. Though they came from different backgrounds and possessed diverse personalities, they all made significant contributions to and had a profound impact on Chinese publishing in the 20th century. The Chinese publishing industry in the 20th century underwent revolutionary changes in printing technology, from woodblock printing to lithography and then to laser typesetting, while also transitioning from tradition to modernity in organizational structure, business models, and publishing philosophy. It stands as one of the most brilliant pages in the history of Chinese publishing. However, due to various reasons, academia has yet to provide sufficient summary and research on this period. In a sense, the history of Chinese publishing in the 20th century is the struggle of generations of publishers, represented by these outstanding figures. The compilation and publication of this large-scale literature collection on 20th-century publishing figures will play a positive role in addressing the relatively weak research on 20th-century publishing history. It also provides a valuable reference for the teaching of editing and publishing in higher education institutions and for the research and learning of publishing professionals.