2017年CRI Writers call for better understanding at BRICS Literature Forum

 

During the 9th BRICS Summit held in September this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for more exchanges among the people of the BRICS countries, namely - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Now a few months later, writers and literary critics from these five member states have gathered in the Chinese city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, to work on expanding cultural collaborations.

CRI's Chi Huiguang has more.

"I'm here as a writer, representing South Africa in the BRICS Literature Forum², which is big, quite exciting, and it's an opening."

This is Niq Mhlongo, a Johannesburg-based novelist.

He is among some 30 writers being invited to the 2017 BRICS Literature Forum, a gathering³ that celebrates the diverse literary expressions from the five countries.

Zheng Yanxiong, an official from the Guangdong Provincial⁴ Publicity⁵ Department, explains why literature could call up the spirit of cooperation.

"The collaboration¹ among the BRICS countries should not be confined to the economic domain⁶. It can be expanded to the cultural field. Literature is inspired by social life and social production. Since the BRICS nations are at a similar level of economic development, there are more common interests in terms of literary creation."

Running for three days, the Forum has attracted a star-studded line-up of international literary heavyweights. To name a few, there are Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan, Man Booker Prize nominee⁷ Su Tong, and celebrated⁸ Indian writer Mridula Garg.

From panel discussions to reading events, how to better understand one another has become a main theme of the event.

Irina Nikolayevna Balmetova is the editor-in-chief of October, a Russian art and literary magazine.

"In recent years, we have worked closely with a Chinese literary magazine, which is also called 'October.' We have assigned topics, such as stories of Beijing or Moscow tales, to authors of each country; and then we have translated those works and published them on each other's journal at the same time. It's a way to tell the wonderful stories of China and Russia."

Indian author Pratishtha Singh says that since BRICS countries are all facing new challenges in the 21st century, inclusion should be the key concern for writers of these five nations.

"The very concept of a 'new era', an era which includes traditions in the contemporary world, according to me, is associated with the concept of inclusion. What I mean by inclusion is that people from different backgrounds, upbringings, and nations need to come together in harmony. In the glorious land of Confucius, a philosopher (whose works) I have read for a really long time and appreciated, with thousands of years of wisdom and knowledge in this land, I feel that great civilizations like the Chinese (one) can show a path of harmonious⁹ inclusion to the world. "

Organized by Beijing Normal University, the 2017 BRICS Literature Forum is wrapping up later this Sunday.

For CRI, this is Chi Huiguang.

1 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

5 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

6 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

7 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

8 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

9 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。