Chapter 556: Interview with a reporter
This was obtained by Fang Minghua specifically through Li Wei, the webmaster of the Guangming Daily station in Xijing.
Fang Minghua has known Li Wei for a long time. In 1987, when he first became the editor-in-chief of the magazine and held the Xijing Conference, he specifically asked Li Wei to report on the conference.
The same is true this time.
There is no problem for Guangming Daily to report news like the creation of a global award, but it is difficult to conduct an exclusive interview with someone.
This would take up a large newspaper page.
Buy it with money?
Do you think it’s a street tabloid?
Although Li Wei is Fang Minghua’s friend, there is no guarantee that their interview will be successfully published in Guangming Daily.
After all, Li Wei is just one of the heads of dozens of "Guangming Daily" workstations in other places, and he is not the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.
For this reason, Fang Minghua specially called Wang Meng in Yanjing and asked him to find a way to contact the editor-in-chief of the newspaper and try to get the interview published.
Of course Wang Meng understood his mood.
Is it to show off for yourself?
No, it is to expand the influence and publicity of the literary award.
The interview was in Fang Minghua’s office, which has now become the room of the jury office.
The reporter who came to interview him was not Li Wei himself, but a female reporter named Yang Li. She had short hair and wore a pair of glasses, showing her shrewdness in her quiet voice. She took out her notebook and said:
"Chairman Fang, let's get started."
Fang Minghua nodded.
Li Hongying poured a cup of tea for each of them, then went out and closed the door.
Start smoothly.
"Chairman Fang, can you briefly introduce the World Chinese Literature Award?"
"Okay, the World Chinese Literature Award is an award created for writers and literature lovers around the world, and is held every two years. Purpose It is to promote literary exchanges between countries and enhance mutual understanding."
"Chairman Fang, how are the preparations for this award going?"
"It is basically ready now, with members of the first jury and readers. The class members have basically determined that the next step will be to issue an essay call notice in due course.”
Fang Minghua Balabala talked about a lot of the basic overview of the literary award, the preparations, the selection process, etc. The process was uneventful.
Yang Li took a notebook and memorized it carefully, then suddenly the conversation changed. "Chairman Fang, why did you create the World Chinese Literature Award? Some people say you are trying to push for the limelight, right?"
The tone became aggressive.
Damn it, you didn’t follow the script.
Exclusive interviews like this are usually communicated with the interviewees in advance, and both parties know what questions to ask, so as to avoid embarrassing situations.
Why was the Chinese Literature Award established? This question was arranged in advance, but why did you ask later that someone would say you were pushy?
Originally, when Fang Minghua answered the former question, he started with a set of standard answers about the purpose and significance of the Chinese Literature Award. However, when he heard Yang Li suddenly ask the following question, he had an idea and changed the content of his answer.
"Comrade reporter, before I answer your two questions, can I tell you a story?" Yang Li was stunned for a moment, then said: "Please tell me."
< br>“I know an old general whose cultural level is not very high, but when he heard that I wanted to set up this literary award, he immediately said “OK” several times!”
“Why?”
"This is what he said: We Chinese translate our works into foreign languages to participate in awards abroad. Why can't foreigners translate their works into Chinese and come to our country to participate in awards?! Now that our country is engaged in reform and opening up, we can go out if we can. Please come in, this is true for the economy, and it is also true for the culture!"
"As for the limelight, you say? If the establishment of this award can promote our literary exchanges with other countries around the world and promote Chinese language and culture, I I’m willing to be in the limelight!”
The interview lasted for forty minutes before it ended. Yang Li asked before leaving.
"Chairman Fang, can I publish the story you told truthfully?"
"Of course!"
Fang Minghua politely sent Yang Li to the gate of the backyard before returning, and saw Li Hongying giving him a thumbs up.
"Teacher Fang, you are so amazing!"
"Okay, stop boasting and get to work quickly."
That night, Qin Province TV Station and Xijing TV Station broadcast The news about the establishment of the Literature Award was announced. The next day, major official media such as People’s Daily, Guangming Daily, and Qin Provincial Daily also reported the news. Then Guangming Daily published this newspaper’s article in the form of an interview. The reporter specifically interviewed Comrade Fang Minghua, founder of the World Chinese Literature Award and vice chairman of the Qin Provincial Writers Association.
During the conversation, Fang Minghua elaborated on the background, motivation and award process of the establishment of the Chinese Literature Award.
It was also revealed that several judges on the jury are all heavyweights in the literary circles on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and three places:
Chairman of the Chinese Writers Association, Palladium, known as the Taishan Beidou in the literary world!
Vice Chairman of the Writers Association and former Minister Wang Meng!
Liu Yichang, honorary chairman of the Hong Kong Writers Association and chief editor of "Hong Kong Literature"!
President of Taiwan PEN Association and famous poet Yu Guangzhong
Each one is astonishing, and the specifications are staggering.
Some people joked that this situation is approaching the Mao Dun Literary Award, the largest domestic literary award. Some writers who are close to Fang Minghua even called to express congratulations and jokingly said that you are ready to strangle your baby. Lu Xun Literature Prize.
Fang Minghua only felt wronged after hearing this. I really didn’t mean that.
Besides, the selection rules for the Lu Xun Award and my Chinese Award are different.
No matter what, in China, the impact of this award has been made, at least people will not doubt it is the Pheasant Award.
Of course, this is just the first step, and there are a lot of things to do later.
Refining the award process requires communicating with the judges. Since they are not in the same city, they need to communicate through letters and phone calls.
Putting out a call for papers. According to the plan of the jury, the call for papers will be launched from August 1st to December 31st. The first Chinese works published in the world or translated into Chinese from 1990 to 1991 ( Not limited to publications in the Mainland) can submit articles.
Of course there is no problem in China. The news about the establishment of the literary award was published in newspapers to let the majority of authors and literature lovers know that the focus now is on Hong Kong, Taiwan, and abroad. This requires the establishment of literary awards in these regions or countries. Place a call for papers in newspapers.
Fang Minghua used his friends in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as Osamu Iwakami, the president of the China Science Fiction Research Association in Japan, and Li Li and Sun Lizhe in the United States to help contact the local media. Landlines in three offices at one time It kept ringing.
It was mid-July, and Fang Minghua suddenly received two invitations to come to Xiangjiang.
One came from the Hong Kong Writers Association, inviting him to give a lecture in Hong Kong on cultural prose. Another letter came from Hong Kong Sanlian Bookstore. The second Hong Kong Book Fair was about to be held, inviting him to participate in the book fair and sign books.
(End of this chapter)