Chinese writer receives honorary doctorate

Under a 150-member academic committee agreement, writer Liu Zhenyun was awarded an honorary doctorate from St Petersburg University at a ceremony in Russia on Wednesday.

Nikolay Kropachev, rector of St Petersburg University and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the honor is given in recognition of the Chinese novelist's popularity and influence on Russian readers.

The award-winning writer contributes to many best-selling novels, most of which have been adapted into films, as well as adaptations such as stage dramas. Liu's satire and humor regarding contemporary Chinese social scenes have also been translated into multiple languages.

Liu's works, including Someone to Talk To, I Am Liu Yuejin, I Did Not Kill My Husband, The Children of the Melon-Eating Era and One Day, Three Autumns, have been published in Russia, receiving widespread acclaim, with some of the books' Russian-language translators being St Petersburg University professors.

Founded in 1724, St Petersburg University is Russia's oldest university. It is also one of the world's most renowned universities, with nine Nobel Prize winners among its alumni. Notable graduates include Russian poet, novelist and playwright Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883).

Kropachev said, that as an outstanding cultural figure, Liu contributed to the dialogue and exchanges between the people of China and Russia.

In November 2017, St Petersburg University launched a cinema and literary festival celebrating the Chinese writer.

One of his translators Oksana Rodionova said: "Liu is exceptionally good at depicting everyday life. Some of his novels, for example, One Word Is Worth Ten Thousand Words, is a true encyclopedia of China's traditions and customs, as he is so specific on details, generous with actual statistics, and fond of colorful and vivid scenes."

Russian science fiction writer Viacheslav Rybakov said: "Liu's books show us how to live simply, with love and sympathy for people. I want contemporary Russian literature to have the same attitude toward its past and present."