Top Chinese writers release new books

China's most renowned writers, Feng Jicai and Yan Geling, released their new books at the 2014 Beijing Book Fair, the largest promotional event of the Chinese publishing sector, on Thursday.

Feng, famous for the Cultural Revolution-themed novel Ten Years of Madness and winner of France's Prix Sorcieres literary prize in 1991, brought eight of his new books in a widely anticipated book launch, making it a climax of the five-day book gala that started Tuesday at the China International Exhibition Center.

The prolific writer, over 70-years-old, introduced his recent work on Chinese folk culture protection, including oral history collection, remote ethnic villages and wood engraving protection during an interactive section with readers at the book launch. These also are the themes of some of his new books.

Yan Geling, a female Chinese writer who became a household name after her novel, Nanjing Heroes, based on the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, was adapted into a film by China's first ranking film director Zhang Yimou, also attended. She brought her new novel Ma Ge Shi Zuo Cheng (English title unknown), which tells a story about some women working in casinos and three gamblers in Macao. The large number of readers and media workers waiting for her appearance seemed to indicate good sales prospects for the book. The high-profile guests for her book launch, including famous Chinese television drama director Li Shaohong and publisher Zhang Lixian, testified to her good reputation as a novel and screenplay writer.

As in previous years, the annual gala of the publishing industry attracted almost all major Chinese publishing bodies. They set up promotion booths to announce their publication plans for 2014 and to showcase new books, in the hope of enticing more orders from bookstores.