The 2010 Australian Writers' Week is now underway in Beijing. It focuses on promoting mutual understanding of literature and culture between Chinese and Australians through various styles of contemporary Australian literary works.
Damin has the details.
The 2010 Australian Writers' Week showcases a wide variety of award-winning contemporary Australian fiction, nonfiction and poetry with a focus on "true stories."
From March 8th until the 14th, those who attend the event will have rare opportunities to meet and hear from six outstanding Australian writers, including Linda Jaivin and Alice Pung. They will take part in a series of dynamic book talks, workshops, panel discussions and forums at the Australian embassy in Beijing.
The event is based on the premise that cultural exchanges between the two countries can lead to literary development.
Geoff Raby, Australia's Ambassador to China, says the event's goal is to promote mutual understanding of literature and culture between China and Australia.
"Anything that improves understanding of each other's countries' society will contribute to improving cooperation. And it is important for both Chinese people and Australian people to understand that although we have a very strong dynamic and economic relationship, it is very significant to mention that the people-to-people relationship is what really makes a relationship for the long term, not just for the market conditions, but because we have strong understanding."
Ambassador Raby also talks about the significance of the literary week for Sino-Australian cooperation and relations.
"There are sessions at some major universities in Beijing. The activity brings the writers to the students, especially students who are involved in Australian studies. This is a big program. This will have a very big impact for the writers to meet top Chinese students. And the students will enjoy meeting the writers very much."
Harold Weldon, the organizer of this event, echoes the ambassador's words. He says the event is mainly about the sharing of stories between two cultures.
"When you share each other's stories and you understand each other's stories, you'll come closer to each other. The boundaries between the countries disappear."
Alice Pung is one of the six Australian writers participating in the event. She talks about her opinion of Chinese literature in Australia.
"I think Chinese literature is very, very important in China and very relevant. And Australians are really interested in it, because we are closer to China than we are to the United States or England. We are closer to Asia. And our prime minister speaks Chinese, too."
The public events of the 2010 Australian Writers' Week are taking place at the Bookworm, a book-reading caf覠in central Beijing as well as at the National Library of China.
This is China Now. I'm Damin. |
