Jury Award and Recommendation Award for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award
Jury Award and Recommendation Award for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award
Besides the winning title Life, Death, Exhaustion, The Revelation of The Words of A Witch (Chu Tien-wen), Histories of Time (Tung Kai-cheong) and The Age of Enlightenment (Wang Anyi) have been named for the Jury Award. Three other works Song of the Hedgehog (Zhang Wei), I Can’t Help Thinking About You at Night (Cao Naiqian) and Stupid Flower (Tie Ning) have been named for the Recommendation Award.
Jury Award winners for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award (In alphabetical order by title)
Recommendation Award winners for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award (In alphabetical order by title)
Besides the winning title Life, Death, Exhaustion, The Revelation of The Words of A Witch (Chu Tien-wen), Histories of Time (Tung Kai-cheong) and The Age of Enlightenment (Wang Anyi) have been named for the Jury Award. Three other works Song of the Hedgehog (Zhang Wei), I Can’t Help Thinking About You at Night (Cao Naiqian) and Stupid Flower (Tie Ning) have been named for the Recommendation Award.
Jury Award winners for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award (In alphabetical order by title)
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The Revelation of The Words of A Witch Taiwan: INK Publishing Co. (2007) Introduction This is a work that requires quiet reading, but one that rewards you with joy. Its writing is built upon the writer’s insights and exhalations about life. The narrative is incredible in detail, the writing fine and enigmatic, and a sense of wisdom is pervasive. Works of Hong Kong and Taiwan have not succumbed to the hate, suffering, violence, criticism particular to those of the Chinese mainland, and are blessed with a relaxed elegance and an intriguing wisdom about life. Comparing it with other works, the subtlety and freshness is apparent: it is about the finer points of life, and from these real experiences come the writer’s own thoughts. Reading is not boisterous but quiet, and from the reading one gleans not a dash of brilliant colour but enduring contemplation.
Mr. Jia Pingwa
Member of Judging Panel Writer of Qin Melody, the First The Dream of Red Chamber Award Winner Author Chu Tien-wen, born in Fuhsing of Kao-Hsiung in 1956, graduated at the English Department of Tamkang University. He was the editor of San-san Collection and was the publisher for San-san Bookstore. He is now a full time writer. His works include novels, novelettes, essays, and movie screenplays. His works of novel has been awarded Goodreads Award (Novel), Jiuge Annual Literary Award, Medal of Novel Award by The Chinese Writers and Artists Association; his original and adapted screenplays have also won multiple Golden Horse Awards. |
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Histories of Time Taiwan: Rye Field Publications, Cite Publishing Ltd. (2007) Introduction The second instalment of the “natural history” trilogy. Histories of Time echoes Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, and is a foray into the universe of humanity. Using a carefully structured, complex narrative, poetic and reflective language, he depicted the writing and thoughts of a writer named “the dictator” by combining in an unprecedented manner astrophysical knowledge and the poetics of the daily life of Hong Kong. The result is a study of the overlapping and circulating histories of time, self, and other, literature and society, and the possibility of an “infant universe”. It is a work of momentous importance in the world of Chinese writing.
Professor Wang Ziping
Member of Final Judging Panel Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Hong Kong Baptist University. Author Tung Kai-cheong, born 1967 in Hong Kong, graduated with a Master in Comparative Literature at the University of Hong Kong. His early works about the school campus display a richness in imagination and lively style. He was the winner of numerous literary awards including New Author Award at the United Literature Fiction Award in Taiwan; the Special Award for Novel at the United literature Fiction Award, and Award for Young Artist – Literary Arts by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. In 2006, his Works and Creations was awarded the Jury Award at the First The Dream of Red Chambers Award. |
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The Age of Enlightenment Taiwan: Rye Field Publications, Cite Publishing Ltd. (2007) Beijing: People’s Publishing House (2007) Introduction Using a calm narrative, the writer describes the scenes of survival in certain insignificant corners. There was no space for reflection and contemplation, as the political movement designed by absolute power tore the people and the party members into sharp, antagonistic shrapnel. The people’s minds was torn asunder by violence, families were broken, morals discarded. Youths motivated by radicalism, with their limited knowledge about world culture and literature, were unable to shine a light into the darkness; who knew how many elite leaders and scholars were buried in those times of broken hearts empty minds? That the writer was able to document it in full faithfulness is proof that culture, like grass, may be trampled upon but will emerge strong again once spring comes. Such “enlightenment” will pass on to the world.
Mr. Sima Zhongyuan
Member of Judging Panel Novelist Author Wang Anyi was born in 1954 in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province. Upon graduation from junior secondary school in 1969 she was sent to serve in a rural village in Anhui. She is now a full-time writer and also Chairman of the Shanghai Writer’s Association. Her works include novels, novelettes, short stories, essays and children’s literature. She was awarded National Literature Awards (Novelette & Short story), and her Song of Everlasting Sorrow was awarded the 4th Shanghai Literature Art Award, the 5th Maodun Literature Award and the first Hua Zong Literary Award organized by Sin Chew Daily of Singapore. |
Recommendation Award winners for the Second The Dream of Red Chambers Award (In alphabetical order by title)
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Song of the Hedgehog Beijing: People’s Publishing House (2007) Introduction A story of legend and magic proportions that bring together some 40 years of love and hate, joining and separation of the protagonists, with over a hundred years of history of the unexplored jungles of Binhai, Shandong Province. Strongly allegorical and ecological, the work describes the crossing of bloodlines of man and animal, and the harms on humanity and nature wrought by modern commerce and industries. It is a celebration of nature’s prowess, the spirit of wilderness, and ethnic traditions. The narrative is typical of Zhang Wei’s romanticism.
Professor Chung Ling
Convener of Dream of Red Chamber Award, Member of Preliminary Judging Panel Dean of Faculty of Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University Author Zhang Wei was born in 1955 in Shandong Province. He graduated from the Department of Chinese at which is now Shandong Normal University. He is now a full-time writer and Deputy Chairman of the Shangdong Writers Association. His works include a number of novels and numerous novelettes, essays and commentaries. His Ancient Vessel was awarded the People’s Literature Award and the Zhuangzhong Literary Prize; his September Fables was awarded “Shanghai Literary Prize – Best Novelette”; his novel Song of the Hedgehog was awarded Outstanding Achievement Award by the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of the US. |
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I Can’t Help Thinking About You at Night Wuhan: Changjiang Literature and Art Publishing (2007) Introduction The novel tells a story about the cave settlement of the Wen clan of the northern plans in the 1970s. It is a naked portrayal of how the destitute, driven by basic instincts, suffered from sexual and physical hunger. With this dual-facet suffering came unveiled the twisted, helpless, and insignificant states of the human condition. The liberal use of verbal colloquialisms, dialects and folk songs conveys a rich rural flavour.
Dr. William Ng
Member of Preliminary Judging Panel Associate Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University Author Cao Naiqian was born in 1949 in Shanxi Province. Upon graduation from high school in 1968, he was engaged in different lines of work including as coal miner and musician. In 1972 he joined the police force and now serves under the Public Security Bureau of Datong City, Shanxi Province. His works have been adapted into TV dramas, films, comics and have been included in the university textbooks. His novel I Can’t Help Thinking About You at Night – Scenery at the Wen Clan Cave Settlement was translated into Sweden by Göran Malmqvist, member of the Swedish Academy, who praised the author as a hopeful “winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature”. |
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Stupid Flower Beijing: People’s Publishing (2006) Introduction Stupid Flower was a chronicle of the people and life of a small village from Late Qing to the 1940s. A strongly historic account, the author outlines in great clarity and depth the times and minds of the people. The conciseness and freshness of language, the clarity of structure and plot have all the makings of a masterful novel-length work.
Dr. Chu Siu Cheung
Member of Preliminary Judging Panel Senior Lecturer of HKBU's Language Centre Author Tie Ning was born in Beijing in 1957. Upon graduation from Baoding High School in 1975 she did rural work for a time in Boye Village of Hebei Province. Later she was the Editor of novels for Huashan Literary Magazine. She is now the Chairperson of China Writers Association and the Chairperson of Hebei Writers Association. Her works include novels, novelettes, short stories and essays. Her collection of essays Women’s White Night was awarded the first Luxun literary Prize; her novelette How Far is Forever was awarded the second Luxun Literary Prize and the first Laoshe Literary Prize. |