The Stories and novellas of Huang Chunming collected here, brilliantly translated by Howard Goldblatt, the pre-eminent translatorof modern Chinese literature into English, present a vivid panorama of the author's short fiction over the past six decades. Huang, who has been from the beginning of his career something of both an artistic and social conscience of contemporary Taiwan, has always been intent upon capturing the instances and rhythms of the life of the ordinary people of Taiwan,even in the children's literature he has devoted himself to in recent years.As a pioneer of the local style that captured the imagination of the Taiwan literary scene in the 1970s, he was perhaps the major voice in creating a new literature and culture reflecting the vibrancy of modern Taiwanese life, particularly its rural roots. He now works in his native city of Yilan, where he is the gracious proprietor of a coffee house that doubles as a venue for children's theatrical productions.

Table of Contents

Notes on the Author

Huang Chunming, one of the most important contemporary Taiwan writers, was born in Yilan and graduated from P'ingtung Normal College. Widely recognized as a forerunner of the 'nativist literature movement' in Taiwan, Huang writes about the poor, neglected, and oppressed common folk of Taiwan, supplying insight into their lives and struggles and offering them great compassion and sympathy. Well-received for its social conscience, deft humour and satire, Huang's work is often regarded as a mirror of Taiwanese society in transformation. He successfully brings many of his characters to life with the use of Taiwanese dialects and folk mannerisms, one of the most distinctive features of his work. In addition, Huang is the author of many illustrated books, like Ai chitang de huangdi 愛吃糖的皇帝 [The emperor who loves candy] (1993) and Wo shi mao ye 我是貓也 [I am a cat] (1993). He has also directed several Taiwan operas including 'Du Zichun' 杜子春 (2002) and 'Xin baishe zhuan' 新白蛇傳 [New legend of the white snake] (2003,2005).Though a writer of broad interests and remarkable versatility, Huang is best known for his short stories, many of which have been turned into successful films, such as 'Erzi de da wanou' 兒子的大玩偶 [The sandwich man] (1983), 'Kanhai de rizi' 看海的日子 [A flower in the rainy night] (1983), and 'Shayonala, zaijian' 莎喲哪拉，再見！ [Sayonara, goodbye] (1984). He has won many awards, including the Wu Sanlian Prize for Literature (1980), the National Endowment for Culture and Art Literary Prize (1998) and the China Times Literary Prize (2000).

About the Translator

Howard Goldblatt is the author or editor of several books and many articles on modern an contemporary Chinese literature and culture. He is particularly well known as a literary translator of fiction from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Nobel laureate Mo Yan's Red Sorgbum,chosen by World Literature Today as one of the 'Top 40 Books from the Yeas 1927–2001'; Taiwanese feminist novelist Li Ang's The Butcber's Wife, and Tibetan novelist Alai's Red POPPIES (co-translated with Sylvia Li-chun Lin), are among the best known. In 1999, his tranlation of Notes of a Desolate Man (also with Sylvia Lin), by Taiwanese novelist Chu T'ien-wen, was selected as translation of the year by the American Literary Translators Association. He and his wife live in Boulder, Colorado.


How to Order

Huang Chunming Stories is for sale at RCT. To place an order, please contact us at (852) 3943 7407/ (852) 3943 7399, or email to rct@cuhk.edu.hk.

Hong Kong Only: HK$98.00
Overseas: US$16.50