Much more than books were to be seen this week at the Beijing
International Bookfair.? In conjunction with the book exhibit
a local English language bookstore/library plus café, the Bookworm,
hosted a talk by the literary agent, Toby Eady. As the top literary
agent for contemporary Chinese books, both fiction and non-fiction,
Mr. Eady chose to speak about modern Chinese writers.?
Tall, debonair, British born and the son of a famous woman
writer, Mr. Eady has been a literary agent since 1968. He publishes
books from all over the world and sells their rights to foreign
language publication houses. But Mr. Eady has a special place in
his heart for Chinese literature, particularly memoirs and
fiction.
"Western thinking is so lateral but Chinese thought, because of
the characters and language, seems more creative and Chinese words
seem to express more feeling," Mr. Eady told the audience. He
recounted that he had been fascinated with China since he was a
teenager, and that he found Chinese stories incomparable to western
fiction.
"The biggest problem," Mr. Eady explained, "Is finding the right
translator for a Chinese book; it's really key. So many
translations are bad, they are what I call 'tone-deaf
translations'; they can make a work fall flat." Because Chinese and
English languages reflect completely different ways of thinking,
the translator must be able to feel the voice of the writer,
empathize and work on the same emotional level. "Academic
translators may be well educated but I want my translators to be
people who have had the same experiences as my authors; these
people must have visceral knowledge. Translating is a very
underestimated skill. If you are writing in Chinese a translator
can kill your book through a poor translation. It is imperative
that your book has a voice. The living language must come through
in your writing and it has to be conveyed through the skills of the
translator as well."
When Toby Eady and Associates accepts a Chinese writer they
usually give the author a contract for two books. "We prefer our
Chinese writers to write in Chinese. The book is translated. We
keep the same translator for both books," he said. "This is because
each translator is as unique as each writer and they form a
team."
Mr. Eady said, "When I work with a Chinese writer I like them to
give me an oral history; it helps a writer find his or her
voice."
"I know in China you can publish in six weeks, but the western
world does not work this way. It takes a lot of time; it's very
different. Be prepared to wait," Mr. Eady commented.
According to Mr. Eady the Australian market is the best place to
publish Chinese fiction. He stated that the Americans are just not
interested in this genre, and that the European market is hard to
enter. He explained that the US market has many American-Chinese
writers; their fiction is received better than current Mainland
Chinese fiction.
The literary agent stated that he is seeking out new Chinese
authors. "The Chinese experience is very different than any other
human experience in the last 150 years. The emotional relationships
Chinese people have had in the last 50-60 years are completely
different than the western life. Good books tell stories about
people; they recount character. I have the instinct to pick the
winners, I guess. It’s been very exciting publishing these books;
I've been very lucky. I'm looking for stories that demand to be
told."
Mr. Eady remarked that the Olympics will undoubtedly generate
new interest in Chinese books, both fiction and non-fiction. When a
member of the audience asked him why he only cited Chinese writers
that were female, he grinned and answered, "I guess I just like
women more and their writing appeals to me. It's a matter of taste;
it's my taste. Chinese men are much more restricted in what they'll
write about. And remember, seventy five percent of the readers in
the world are women. I think that my life as a literary agent has
been, in a way, a life of supporting women and encouraging women
writers. That's not such a bad way to lead one's life."
(China.org.cn by Valerie Sartor, September 1, 2007)
