Press London book fair
GERMANY
www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/politischesfeuilleton/1730519/0
16.04.2012
2009 war China Ehrengast bei der Buchmesse in Frankfurt. Auch damals gab es Probleme. (Bild: AP)
China zu Gast bei der Londoner Buchmesse
Der Buchmarkt spricht, die unabhängigen Stimmen Chinas sollen schweigen
Von Esther Dischereit
www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/thema/1728910/
Ausgrenzung chinesischer Exil-Autoren ist “skandalös” Schriftstellerin Esther Dischereit beklagt politische Haltung auf der Londoner Buchmesse
13.04.2012
www.taz.de/1/archiv/digitaz/artikel/?ressort=ku&dig=2012%2F04%2F16%2Fa0105&cHash=864038e312
Die Tageszeitung taz 16.04.2012
“Ich brauche jemanden, der mich versteht”
FREIHEIT DES WORTES Der chinesische Dichter Bei Ling über das Exil, Paul Celan und den Ausschluss der unabhängigen chinesischen Literatur von der Londoner Buchmesse
AUSTRIA
Buchmarkt spricht, Chinas unabhängige Stimmen schweigen
ESTHER DISCHEREIT (Die Presse)
Die Londoner Buchmesse als negatives Beispiel dafür, wie sich Veranstalter den politischen Vorgaben eines Regimes unterwerfen.
18.4.2012
| NEW ZEALAND
Graham Beattie has published: http://www.beattiesbookblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/london-book-fair-market-speaks-chinas.html |
Graham’s blog is read by a wide variety of arts people, including government advisory staff. The NZ administration is pro-China because of trade opportunities.
Monday, April 16, 2012
The London Book Fair: The market speaks, China’s independent voices should not be heard
by Esther Dischereit – an open letter (via NZ poet David Howard)
NETHERLANDS
30.03.2012
Versindaba » Blog Archive » Louis Esterhuizen. Britse eierdans rondom uitgeweke Chinese skrywers
VERSINDABA
~ ‘n Kollektiewe weblog vir die Afrikaanse digkuns ~
LOUIS ESTERHUIZEN. BRITSE EIERDANS RONDOM UITGEWEKE CHINESE SKRYWERS
Die huidige Chinese regering se vergryp aan menseregte is welbekend.
So ook die Weste se slaphandigheid om standpunt teen dié ekonomiese
reus in te neem. Nou blyk dit dat die Londense Boekebeurs (LBF)
hulle ook by hierdie verleentheid aangesluit het deurdat hulle die
beurs vanjaar op die boekebedryf in China fokus, dog geen van die
skrywers wat krities teenoor die Chinese regering staan, na dié
belangwekkende geleentheid uitgenooi, óf betrek het nie.
Nietemin, danksy die bemiddeling van een van ons buitelandse
korrespondente kon ek die korrespondensie tussen die uitgeweke
digter, Bei Ling (foto), en die British Council, organiseerders van
die boekebeurs, onder oë kry; fassinerende leesstof, inderdaad …
Bei Ling motiveer sy aanvanklike griefskrif soos volg: “I was
astonished that no independent literature voice nor exiled writer
from China is being represented at the London Book Fair programme.
These voices include Nobel laureate (2000) Gao Xingjian, who today
lives in his Parisian exile. Liu XiaoBo`s voice is also missing, the
voice of the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Peace and former
president of ICPC.” Ander uitgeweke skrywers wat geïgnoreer is deur
die organiseerders, en deur Bei Ling genoem word, is Liao Yiwu (oor
wie Amanda Lourens onlangs geskryf het) en die gewilde romanskrywer
Ma Jian wat in Londen woonagtig is. (Oor Liu XiaoBo het ek ook al
vantevore berig.)
Hy sluit sy skrywe af met die volgende opmerking: “I do not want to
present you with a long list of all of the important writers who
should have been considered. However, it is more than apparent that
only state-recognized authors are participating – but no independent
voices. Works by independent and exiled Chinese authors are just as
much a part of the current Chinese literary scene as the state-
approving ones. Also shocking is the London Book Fair’s cooperation
with the GAPP – the very ministry that’s responsible for censorship.
My hope is to see the London Book Fair would also find space and time
to discuss the topic of censorship, in China’s literary
landscape.”(Terloops, GAPP is die akroniem vir General Administration
of Press and Publication.)
Die British Council se reaksie (waaruit ek ongelukkig nie mag aanhaal
nie), is inderdaad verlep (en polities korrek) soos verlede week se
koolslaai in die yskas. Volgens The Guardian se berig egter die
volgende: “Susie Nicklin of the British Council said the organisation
had consulted hundreds of people in the UK and China to select the
final list of people coming over for the LBF and that it was very
important to the Council that ‘all sorts of voices are heard’. She
said Bei had ‘got the wrong end of the stick’ in urging the presence
of exiled authors on the programme, which she said was intended for
people living and writing in China. Asked about the council’s co-
operation with the Gapp, she said an official partner had been
necessary for every year’s country-specific market focus event to
take place. ‘Gapp is the department that this year is the
organisation that we’re working with. Every year that we do the
market focus we need to work with a main organisation.’”
Ook Alistair Burtenshaw, hoofdirekteur van die London Book Fair, word
aangehaal en volgens hom is die LBF in wese ‘n besigheidsinisiatief
waardeur blootstelling gegee word aan “new markets to the publishing
sector, but it was also excited about the professional and cultural
programme that would be presented.” Hiertoe het hy bygevoeg: “The
London Book Fair welcomes a wide variety of informed voices to the
fair across our 300 seminars and events and this includes authors
from around the world and the global publishing community. We’re
delighted to offer this platform for open debate and discussion.”
Nou ja, toe. Maar terug na Bei Ling se korrespondensie met die
organseerders. In sy opvolgbrief open hy met ‘n omvattende relaas oor
die stand van sensuur in die Chinese lettere: “In the last twenty
years, Chinese news organizations and publishers have developed an
insidious and painstaking system of ‘level-by-level examination’ of
works by relevant departments of the publishing houses not only once
or twice, but often three times and more. Publication of the chosen
works also requires final evaluation and approval from municipal and
provincial news and press bureaus. When denied only once, works
cannot be published and there is no option of appeal.”
Vervolgens stel hy voor dat die organiseerders ‘n aparte, en
parallellopende, uitstalling vir die Taiwannese boekbedryf aanbied en
wel volgens die model wat die Franfurtse Boekebeurs verlede jaar
gevolg het toe ook húlle voor die politieke druk van China moes swig
deur aanvanklike uitnodigings aan einste Bei Ling en Dai Qing terug
te trek. “From politics to literature, this area (Taiwan) featured
hundreds of books that cannot be published in China, yet are sold in
Taiwan where there is unfettered freedom of the press […] The
absence of literary representation from these authors in China’s
official publishing world is indisputable evidence of the need for
more freedom for one of the world’s biggest publishing industries.”
In nog ‘n interessante verwikkeling het dié debakel tot gevolg gehad
dat die Britse PEN hul betrokkenheid by die Londense Boekebeurs
afgeskaal het. Sarah Hesketh, voorsitter van die English PEN word
soos volg hieroor aangehaal: “We’re keen to engage in cultural
exchange but at the same time we didn’t feel that given our human
rights work in China … we could be seen to endorse an official state-
sponsored delegation for whom there will be restrictions on what they
can say.”
Inderdaad. En natuurlik besef ‘n mens dat ons hier ter plaatse darem
steeds gronde tot dankbaarheid het; soos ons korrespondent dit in sy
e-pos stel: “Dis nogal insiggewend om die materiaal in volgorde te
lees. (En mens besef weer hoe gelukkig ons nog is om byna alles ‘wat
die mark kan vat’ hier te publiseer – voorlopig – anders as in China,
seker maar omdat ons skrywers so marginaal is.)”
Mmmm …
Vir jou leesplesier volg ‘n kort gedig deur Bei Ling hieronder.
***
Time Like a Fallen Horse
When the fallen horse of time
Bursts open, one moment takes one lifetime,
A gigantic horse-head lies, throat thinned
And collared by the clamping wind.
All faces are all enduring doomsday,
All together, as a kiss of steel, their due:
This final rinse of a dried-out night,
This riddle that runs the body through.
© Bei Ling (Vertaal deur AZ Foreman)
Tags: Bei Ling, Londense Boekebeurs
Friday, March 30th, 2012 | Binneblik, Blogs, Louis Esterhuizen.
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4月 25, 2012 5:54 下午 |
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