Daily Archives: September 8, 2012

Chinese 'blind spot' for Western readers

HONG KONG, Sept 8, 2012 (AFP) -A potent mix of state censorship, conservative publishing choices and scant translation means international readers are given a narrow view of contemporary China, industry critics say. There are the occasional books by Chinese authors that hit the international bestseller lists such as the blockbuster "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang, which has sold millions worldwide, and Adeline Yen Mah's "Falling Leaves". But both of those authors are based in the West -- highlighting the paucity of material from China itself that reaches international markets. Hong-Kong based Harvey Thomlinson founded Make-Do Publishing in 2009 to produce quality Chinese and Asian literature in English translation, capitalising on Hong Kong's unique position as a multicultural Chinese territory where freedom of speech laws remain intact. "You can't underestimate censorship and the impact it has had on the quality of China's literary output," he said. "The effect is like a dust sheet being thrown over a piano -- not only state censorship but also the self-censorship that goes with it." Chinese fiction also tends to follow a template, according to the British publisher, ignoring the realities of industrialised, modern China, which continues to grow and change at a bewildering pace. Western imprints pick out only a few genres for translation such as the Cultural Revolution memoir, along with novels by Westernised Chinese authors -- who often write originally in English. And economic factors also play a major part in the drive to boost sales. "Most books have to turn a profit for publishers and this can make editors and their boards quite conservative about their choices," said London-based author and translator Julia Lovell. "It means they need to look for commercial themes, or books that seem to recapitulate styles and ideas that have worked in the past. Anything new or very literary will, of course, seem a risk." As well as being an easier sell in the West, such books are also less of a risk for the writers, who are reluctant to tackle current social issues for fear of official repercussions. In China's big state-run publishing houses "editing is not a profession any more", said Martin Merz, a Hong Kong-based translator. "Now it's more about avoiding political errors." Make-Do focuses instead on independent authors such as Murong Xuecun and Chen Xiwo, who tend to offer something different from the many government-backed writers in China who receive stipends and other incentives to encourage them to stay on-side. Murong's debut book, "Leave Me Alone: A Novel of Chengdu" was first published online in 2002, where it attracted several million readers before being released in print. The novel tells the darkly comic story of three young men's attempts to make their way in newly capitalist China, their lives beset by dead-end jobs and gambling debts. Chen, who was active in the student democracy movements of the 1980s, was also first recognised as an online writer. His controversial novella "I Love My Mum", which has incest as a theme and is banned in China, will be published in the United States in September.

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Chinese 'blind spot' for Western readers

Home > News City to appeal decision allowing pit bull accused in attack to stay in neighborhood Originally Published on Friday, September 07, 2012 By Cyrus Moulton / The Daily Item

LYNN A Fenton Avenue couple say they fear for their safety after a court hearing officer ruled a pit bull could stay in their neighborhood, even though the animal mauled their leashed shih tzu and its master.

In our court, we decided that a pit bull was more important than a 74-year-old man whos been hurt, Susanne Reynolds, a former longtime Lynn Public Schools teacher, said Wednesday of her injured husband, Jack, a retired Lynn principal. I had the leashed dog. It came on my property and did damage. If it were a human being, it would have been arrested.

Meanwhile, the city plans to appeal the decision by Lynn District Court Clerk Magistrate Stephen Borelli.

There were no reasons given for ruling, city attorney Vin Phelan said Thursday. Typically we dont lose these.

A woman who answered the door at the pit bull owners home declined to comment Wednesday. Nor could attorney Stephen Wise, who represented the owner, be reached Thursday. Borelli could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Susanne and Jack Reynolds said Wednesday that they and their 14-pound shih tzu, Oreo, were getting into their car at noon on May 12 to put flowers on their parents graves for Mothers Day.

Jack Reynolds said he opened the back door when the neighbors pit bull ran down their driveway, jumped into the back seat of the car and began attacking Oreo.

Jack Reynolds said he threw both of his arms around the pit bulls neck and used his body weight to hold the dog, which he estimated weighed between 70 to 90 pounds, for nearly half an hour as they waited for police to arrive. Susanne Reynolds was meanwhile screaming for help.

I ran across the street and heard Susanne outside screaming my husbands dead, neighbor Jannel Vickers recalled. She told me, My husbands dead in the car, and he was motionless trying to hold the dog. Oreo looked at me and his eye was hanging out.

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Selectmen fear censorship at Saugus TV

Tunis The internet censorship, more known under the name of "Ammar 404" is henceforth no longer set in Tunisia, asserted Information and Communication Minister Mongi Marzoug denying the social network information on the return of the internet censorship.

In his meeting with the media, the Minister said that the Revolution allowed to put an end to censorship in Tunisia underlining the interim government's commitment to facilitate access to information and promote freedom of expression.

Launching, on September 4, 2012, of the National Forum of Internet governance is "the end Ammar 404", he said.

The Minister said that Tunisia will announce, tomorrow Friday, its membership to joint action for freedom of expression on the Internet "Freedom online", which holds its second session, on September 6-7, 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya.

On the fringes of its participation in this event, Tunisia will apply for hosting the 3rd edition of this conference, said the Minister.

In another connection, Mr. Marzoug presented the programme as well as the main objectives of the 2012 ICT 4 all forum due to be held on September 17-20, 2012 in Hammamet.

This event aims to give a new image of Tunisia as a country leader in the field of ICTs and freedom of expression and boost the country's role in this sector on the Maghrebi, Arab and African levels.

Copyright 2012 Tunis Afrique Presse. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

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Tunisia: Govt Drops Internet Censorship