Selected Works of Zhang Chengzhi

Author: Zhang Chengzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Zhang Chengzhi is a writer with a distinct personality, unwavering stance, and extreme style in the New Period literature. Zhang Chengzhi himself once said in Life Like a Flow, "Others create works, while I create a writer." He constantly seeks breakthroughs yet remains steadfast. The 20th century was an extraordinary century. The social life of the 20th century was turbulent and underwent profound changes, and the Chinese-language literature of the 20th century was also vast and dynamic. Bridging the 19th and 21st centuries, the Chinese-language literature of the 20th century actively expanded and innovated in close connection with social life and in resonance with the spirit of the times, writing a brilliant page in the five-thousand-year cultural symphony of the Chinese nation. It is a reflection of the vitality of an ancient nation and a cultural treasure that stands out in history. The Chinese-language literature of the 20th century will undoubtedly become an important part of the Chinese cultural tradition for future generations to inherit, and the outstanding works of the 20th century will be remembered as classics. Organizing and publishing important writers and works of the 20th-century Chinese-language literature is undoubtedly an urgent historical task before us. Moreover, under the current overly dominant "marketization" that makes literary production increasingly complex and the overly "entertainment-oriented" cultural environment that degrades literary reading, such a historical task of accumulating outstanding cultural achievements and promoting classic literary works has become even more important and urgent.
In the spring of 2005, with a shared purpose and similar interests, Beijing Yanshan Publishing House, which has established a good brand image with the World Literature Library, received support and assistance from authoritative literary research institutions centered around the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Under the general planning of renowned literary critic and publisher Bai Ye, Ni Peigeng, famous scholar and literary critic Chen Juntao, and He Shaojun, the "60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century" project was launched. The creation and launch of the 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century series aim to review and showcase the abundant achievements and significant progress of 20th-century Chinese literature through the collaboration of renowned writers and their masterpieces, further promoting the accumulation of advanced culture and the dissemination of classic works, and meeting the reading needs of the new generation of literary enthusiasts.
To ensure that the selection and publication of the 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century series reflect both the academic insights of literary experts and the valuable opinions of literary readers, we adopted a combination of expert selection and reader voting, adhering to the principles of objectivity, fairness, and openness. We strove to integrate the views and demands of all parties and reflect the actual development of Chinese-language literature in the 20th century, as well as the general consensus of literary scholars and the reading preferences of readers for 20th-century Chinese-language literary works.
Based on the above selection principles and objectives, after recommendations from experts, we selected 100 writers and their representative works as candidates, considering their status and influence in the history of modern and contemporary Chinese literature. Subsequently, we invited 25 experts in modern and contemporary Chinese literature to form the "60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century" selection committee. Based on the list of 100 candidates, the committee conducted a written, named vote, and the results were ranked by the number of votes to determine the expert selection results of the "60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century."
To incorporate the opinions and reading preferences of a broad readership regarding 20th-century Chinese-language writers and works, we received strong support and full cooperation from the highly popular "Reading Channel" of Sina.com, launching a two-month "Public Online Selection of the 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century." Thousands of readers actively participated in and engaged with this selection, with some even posting insightful comments on the message board, demonstrating their concern for the selection process and expressing their personalized reflections on 20th-century Chinese literature.
On December 16, 2005, the reader selection results were officially announced on the "Reading Channel" of Sina.com. The two selections indicated that while readers and experts shared similar views on the fundamental issue of selecting the best and promoting classics, certain differences in value orientation emerged in the final results. To ensure that the selection and compilation of the "60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century" could objectively reflect the opinions of both experts and readers, after repeated consultations, we decided to combine the results of the two selections, each weighing 50%, to produce the final ranking table (see selection results on the following page).
The writers selected for the 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century series are included in "Selected Works" format. In addition to the works, we invited relevant experts to write introductory essays and compile bibliographies of the writers' creative works, aiming to provide readers with necessary guidance and additional information to understand the writers, their creative characteristics, and their positions in literary history.
The publication of the 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century series aims to encompass the essence of 20th-century Chinese-language creation, showcase works of classic significance, and create a premium booklist suitable for collection. It embodies the efforts of dozens of experts and carries the sincere hopes of tens of thousands of readers who love modern and contemporary Chinese literature. We hope it can withstand the test of time and history, as friends who support this endeavor wish: "The 60 Outstanding Chinese-Language Writers of the 20th Century will be regarded as classic collections in major libraries, essential reading for college students majoring in liberal arts and literary enthusiasts."