US publishing house launches Chinese literature book series

APD NEWS

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"How to Read Chinese Literature" is the title of a book series launched by Columbia University Press of the US on Friday with an eye on transforming the learning and teaching of Chinese literature, language, and culture in the English-speaking world.

The series is a collection of Chinese literary anthologies and language texts covering major literary genres, with non-Chinese students and scholars as target readers.

It is aimed at bridging the gap between learning and teaching for non-Chinese students and scholars, especially in traditional Chinese poetry and prose, Cai Zongqi, one of the series' editors, told Xinhua at the launch ceremony in Washington on Friday.

Cai Zongqi, a professor of Chinese and comparative literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the most challenging part about teaching non-Chinese students is the need for an interpretive and analytical approach instead of using descriptive, abstract words that could be well-perceived by Chinese speakers.

Jennifer Crewe (L) and Cai Zongqi pose for photos at the launch ceremony of the book series titled "How to Read Chinese Literature" in Washington.

Since 2008, Columbia University Press has published three books edited by Cai – now all part of the series – starting with "How to Read Chinese Poetry: A Guided Anthology."

The book has been popular among students, scholars and other readers, paving the way for the idea of publishing a series.

"I think it was a great idea," Jennifer Crewe, director of the publishing house affiliated with the renowned Columbia University, told Xinhua. "A good way to learn and understand another culture is through its literature.

It's a successful formula that will help students for years to come."

Speaking of how Cai and other editors compiled the books, she said they put together the English translation of traditional Chinese poetry and prose, their Chinese texts, and translation into modern Chinese.

The whole book series is expected to be out by 2020.

Columbia University Press is one of the oldest and most prestigious publishers of translations of Asian classics and literary anthologies.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)