Chapter 442 was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is one of the three major literary awards in the United States and the most authoritative literary award in the United States. It was founded by the American Book Critics Circle in 1975. Including the Fiction Award, Non-Fiction Award, Poetry Award, Memoir/Autobiography Award, Biography Award, Criticism Award, etc.
Different from the other two awards, the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, the latter only rewards literary works by American writers, but the National Book Critics Circle Award includes translations into English Books published in the United States.
Song Tangtang also told a piece of news on the phone.
"Minghua also received a personal letter from John, the vice president of Simon & Schuster Publishing Company, welcoming you to the United States. They have conducted a series of promotional activities for this book. I would like to They asked you to attend in person and said that all expenses in the United States would be paid by their company.”
Ouch
This business is such a chore.
This English translation of "Crossing Guandong" was commissioned by Fang Minghua to contact Li Li and Simon and Schuster Publishing Company. It was officially published in March this year. It is obvious that Simon Company is planning to use this award as a publicity and promotion.
Winning a prize is of course a great thing, but even if you don’t win and are only nominated, it’s still a small blessing.
You must know that the National Book Critics Circle Award only awards one book in the fiction category each year!
They take care of food and drink, so why not go?
Besides, there are other things you can do in the United States.
Fang Minghua agreed.
"Okay then, you send me the invitation letter, and I'll go to the Writers Association to see if I can help with applying for a visa." Fang Minghua expressed his thoughts.
Going abroad is much simpler now than it was in the early 1980s, but it is still a headache. Among other things, there is a long queue in front of the US Embassy on Xiushui North Street every day. How difficult it is to feel.
After hanging up the phone, Fang Minghua quickly returned to the table to eat, and said to the two old people: "Grandpa, Grandma, I can't leave today, I have to do something."
"Then you can live here, if you want to Just stay for a few days." Grandma looked kind and asked with concern: "What's the matter?"
"Tangtang called just now and said that the English translation of "Enter Guandong" I wrote was shortlisted for this year's American National Film Festival. Book Critics Association Award."
Fang Minghua briefly explained what happened.
Grandma was very happy to hear this. "It's a good thing to win an American literary award."
My grandfather, who was engrossed in eating, interjected: "Is this National Book Critics Association Award very powerful? Is it as powerful as our Mao Dun Award?"
"That's different. Our country's Mao Dun Award is to reward us. Literary works written by national writers, but this American Book Critics Circle Award is open to the whole world, as long as it is an English book published in the United States, it can participate!" Grandma explained patiently.
“Yes, the United States also has the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. These two awards only reward American writers, similar to our Mao Dun Literary Award.” Fang Minghua added.
"In this case, why doesn't our country establish a literary award similar to the American Book Critics Circle Award? No matter which country your book is from, as long as it is translated into Chinese and published in our country, you can participate!" The old man said.
After hearing what the old man said, my grandma replied in a teasing tone: "Well, why not establish a Chinese Nobel Prize for Literature?"
"Why not?!" I saw the old man waving his hand: "Now that we are engaged in reform and opening up, we can both go out and invite in! The same is true for the economy, and the same is true for culture! Foreigners judge us, and we can also criticize foreigners. ! Those people in the Writers Association are too old! Xiaohua, the future depends on your generation. "It seems that you are not old," grandma muttered. .
“But I’m not old-minded!” Grandpa said with eyes wide open.
"Okay, okay, you are young, as young as Xiaohua."
The two old people started to quarrel again, and Fang Minghua was busy eating at this time.
Three days later, Song Tangtang sent both invitations by express delivery.
Just in 1985, the country established the China Express Service Company, and the time for receiving mail such as letterhead documents was significantly shortened.
After receiving these two invitation letters, Fang Minghua immediately rushed to the Chinese Writers Association and reported the matter to Executive Vice Chairman Feng Mu.
These days, winning a foreign award is a matter of bringing glory to the country, let alone an important award in literature? After hearing Fang Minghua's request, Feng Mu immediately agreed and asked the national foreign affairs department for help in the name of the Chinese Writers Association, which could shorten the time for going abroad. Fang Minghua is going abroad again!
Before he returned to Xijing, the news spread throughout the magazine. As soon as he went to work, Bai Miao came to his office and asked him to treat him.
Fang Minghua was helpless.
"What kind of treat is this? The novel is only a finalist but not an award-winner? At least it has to win the award like Jia Pingwa's "Impotent", right? Wouldn't it be a joke if it didn't win the award?"
< br>Jia Pingwa's "Impossible" won the 8th Mobil Pegasus Literary Award in the United States at the end of last year. However, due to various reasons, Jia Pingwa did not go to the United States to receive the award in person, and the award certificate was sent back to China.
For this reason, Jia Pingwa also invited guests for several days.
After hearing what Fang Minghua said, Bai Miao immediately said: "Editor Fang, I bet that your book will win an award. Do you dare to bet with me?!"
"No."
< br>Fang Minghua answered simply and neatly.
“Well, let’s not talk about going to the United States to win the award. Editor Fang, you are now a director of the Chinese Writers Association, so you must invite this guest, right?”
I@#￥￥%
This guest has to be invited. If you don't, you can't explain it.
So, Fang Minghua was drunk for a few more days.
With the help of the Writers Association, it is relatively easy to apply for a visa. Besides, I am invited to go abroad. Compared with those who queue up to apply for a visa in front of the embassy, the Americans approve the procedure quickly.
Despite this, Fang Minghua took the political review materials and his household registration book to Yanjing again, and finally got the visa to go abroad in mid-June, and the time to go abroad was 20 days.
Fang Minghua will go abroad tomorrow, and the work in the unit has been arranged. Song Tangtang will help her husband pack his luggage in the evening.
In fact, there was nothing to pack, just a few changes of clothes and toiletries.
"Minghua, will you see Emily when you go to the United States this time?" Song Tangtang asked while packing up.
Fang Minghua was reading the newspaper, and when he heard his wife say this, he smiled and said:
"Why should I look for someone else if I have nothing to do? Emily is now in Los Angeles, and I went to New York. They are so far apart. The entire American continent is far away."
In the past two years after Fang Minghua returned to China, Emily wrote several letters about her current situation, so the couple probably knew about her situation.
Since Emily wrote the book "Before Sunrise" which became an overnight sensation, she subsequently wrote two books, "The Summer With You" and "Time Please Don't Take My Memories Away", both of which are about young people. The love story is deeply loved by young men and women, and he has become a best-selling author.
After hearing Fang Minghua's answer, Song Tangtang glanced at him.
"Maybe someone knew you were in the United States and made a special trip to find you."
"It's also possible." Fang Minghua didn't shy away: "After all, we are friends, so I traveled all the way to go there. In the United States, it is normal to meet. Tangtang, are you worried about some kind of super-friendship relationship between me and her? "
Fang Minghua said at last.
Song Tangtang looked at him.
"It's a lie to say you're not worried. But I won't let you go to the United States because of this, right? You have your own career. Okay, let's not talk about it. I have one more thing to do. Let me tell you, my second aunt called me yesterday and said that Lili went to the United States.”
(End of this chapter)