Real heroes not just in fiction
( 2003-10-28 10:03) (China Daily)
Children's literature is a
collaborative undertaking that needs the work of many.
Besides authors picking up their pens to write, editors who painstakingly
encourage and critique writers' words, publishers who put up cash on speculation
that a book will sell, there are others who do yeoman's work behind the scenes
to promote good literature.
This year, the Soong Ching Ling Children's Literature Award Committee
established a Special Contribution Award to acknowledge the work of those who
laboured mightily backstage.
Four special people have made outstanding lifetime contributions to
Children's literature. They include:
Ren Rongrong, 80, is an eminent translator of children's literature in China.
Over the course of more than half a century, Ren has translated some of the most
important children's classics in Russian, English, Italian and Japanese.
Jiang Feng, 78, and Pu Manting, 75, are respectively professors emeritus of
the Children's Literature Department at Zhejiang Normal University, and its
counterpart Beijing Normal University.
The two institutions are pivotal educational bases for cultivating
professional writers, researchers, and editors for children's literature in
China.
Su Peide, 72, is honoured with the award because of his energetic social
efforts in promoting writers' careers. As a senior executive in the Writers'
Association of China, Su has undertaken practical efforts to encourage writing
for children, handled promotional efforts in the field, and cultivated many
young writers. He is also an active critic.
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