Liu Xinwu
Encyclopedia
Liu Xinwu is a Chinese
author, and one of the earliest proponents of the post-Maoist
wave of Chinese literature.
, his family moved to Beijing
, a city that figures prominently in his work, in 1950. Liu spent most of his life in Beijing, except for a brief period during the Cultural Revolution
, when he was sent to work in rural China.
His short story, "Class counsellor" (also translated as "The Class Teacher", 班主任, bān zhǔrèn) published in 1977
was one of the earliest examples of prose condemning the excesses of the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution. His work has sometimes been referred to as scar literature
, though this assessment is disputed.
Liu filled editorial positions in a number of prominent government-sponsored publications throughout most of the 1980s. In 1987, however, he was removed as editor of the publication People's Literature after a story published failed to meet government approval. He left all his government positions after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
because of continual harassment from the government for his pro-demonstrator stance. Since then, he has devoted himself entirely to his writing.
Liu's work, which includes novels, short stories, and children's literature, focuses on the common people of Beijing and people who live on the margins of society.
(紅學, hōngxué), also known as studies of the famous 17th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber
(紅樓夢, Hónglóu Mèng). Liu takes on the stance that in studying this famous Qing novel, the researcher's point of departure should be the figure of Qin Keqing, thus authoring the branch of Qin studies (秦學, qínxué) within redology. In 2006 Liu gave a talk at Columbia University
introducing this concept. Liu has also published on The Dream with the famous redologist Zhou Ruchang.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
author, and one of the earliest proponents of the post-Maoist
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
wave of Chinese literature.
Biography
Born in the province of SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, his family moved to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, a city that figures prominently in his work, in 1950. Liu spent most of his life in Beijing, except for a brief period during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, when he was sent to work in rural China.
His short story, "Class counsellor" (also translated as "The Class Teacher", 班主任, bān zhǔrèn) published in 1977
1977 in literature
The year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Adams begins writing for BBC radio.*V. S. Naipaul declines the offer of a CBE....
was one of the earliest examples of prose condemning the excesses of the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution. His work has sometimes been referred to as scar literature
Scar literature
Scar literature or literature of the wounded is a genre of Chinese literature which emerged in the late 1970s, soon after the death of Mao Zedong, portraying the sufferings of cadres and intellectuals during the tragic experiences of the Cultural Revolution and the rule of the Gang of Four.The...
, though this assessment is disputed.
Liu filled editorial positions in a number of prominent government-sponsored publications throughout most of the 1980s. In 1987, however, he was removed as editor of the publication People's Literature after a story published failed to meet government approval. He left all his government positions after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
because of continual harassment from the government for his pro-demonstrator stance. Since then, he has devoted himself entirely to his writing.
Liu's work, which includes novels, short stories, and children's literature, focuses on the common people of Beijing and people who live on the margins of society.
Redology
Since the early 1990s Liu has also been engaging in RedologyRedology
Redology is the study of the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Classics of China. There are many researchers in this field, most can be divided into four general groups. The first group is the commentators, such as Zhou Chun, Xu Fengyi, Chen Yupi, and others. The second group is...
(紅學, hōngxué), also known as studies of the famous 17th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...
(紅樓夢, Hónglóu Mèng). Liu takes on the stance that in studying this famous Qing novel, the researcher's point of departure should be the figure of Qin Keqing, thus authoring the branch of Qin studies (秦學, qínxué) within redology. In 2006 Liu gave a talk at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
introducing this concept. Liu has also published on The Dream with the famous redologist Zhou Ruchang.
Translations
- Black Walls and Other Stories (ed. by Don J. Cohn, ISBN 962-7255-06-8)
- Chinese short stories of the twentieth century: an anthology in English (ed. by Zhihua Fang, ISBN 0-8153-0532-X) Includes "The Class Teacher".
- Prize-winning Stories from China, 1978-1979 (by Liu Xinwu, Wang Meng, and others). HC (ISBN 0-253-34620-7) PB (ISBN 0-253-20292-2)
- The Wounded: new stories of the Cultural Revolution, 77-78 (ed, Hsin-hua Lu, Geremie Barmé, Bennett Lee). HC (ISBN 962-04-0007-0) PB (ISBN 962-04-0008-9) Includes "Class counsellor".