Chapter 825 824 "Hello, Comrade James!"
It started to rain again.
The weather in Britain is like this, it rains all the time.
Hold an umbrella and walk in the old town of Edinburgh. There are medieval castles and buildings everywhere. Fang Minghua wanders inside, giving people a sense of poetic melancholy and loneliness.
To be honest, Fang Minghua doesn’t like it very much.
It was a bit refreshing at first, but after a long time, it will make people feel very depressed. It is the dry and hot sunshine in Xijing City that makes people feel comfortable.
The next day, the Edinburgh International Book Festival was held in a temporary tent set up in Charlotte Square. Unlike some other book festivals, it was quite casual here. It was not just writers who came here. and readers, as well as many celebrities and politicians.
But the book festival treats celebrities as ordinary people. Paparazzi and following photographers have to put away their cameras, and bodyguards have to keep a distance of more than 5 steps from celebrities.
It didn’t rain today, and the sun rarely came out in Edinburgh.
Under the guidance of Lucy, Fang Minghua participated in a keynote speech, mainly talking about the writing process of the book "Road Spike" and some insights.
However, the readers in the audience seemed to be more interested in Harry Potter - no way, this book is too popular in the UK. The daily life of the children and the architecture of the magic school in the book are simply British.
In fact, he had expected this, because the original author of this book wrote it in Edinburgh.
Fang Minghua doesn’t care. The staff at Heinemann Publishing House, where Lucy works, are a little depressed.
Although the "Tail Spike" and "Harry Potter" series are both works by Fang Minghua, the problem is that the latter is published by Longman Publishing Group!
Isn’t this a dowry for others?
After the speech, there was a book signing event, and soon a long queue formed in front of Fang Minghua's signing table.
Readers all brought new or outdated novels for Fang Minghua to sign.
It’s all about the book "Road Spike".
Fang Minghua understood. It was probably the staff of the publishing house who repeatedly stated that it must be "Road Spike" before the author could sign it.
Fang Minghua can’t say anything about the rights of the publishing house.
After signing for a while, there was no team in front of him. Fang Minghua took a breath and picked up the coffee cup.
Fang Minghua suddenly saw several girls standing not far away looking at this side. Fang Minghua recognized them. Encountered those female middle school students on the train.
One of the girls with some freckles on the bridge of her nose looked at him with a shy face and a book in her hand.
Fang Minghua understood immediately.
Fans of Harry Potter.
This book is very popular among middle school students both in Europe, America and China.
So he smiled and waved, and the girl hesitated and walked over.
"Are you Mr. Minghua, the author of the "Harry Potter" novels?" the girl asked quietly.
"Yes, do you want a signature?" Fang Minghua asked.
"Thank you." The girl immediately became happy and handed her the four books she was holding on her chest.
It is the first four books of "Harry Potter" that have been published. Some of them are slightly curled up at the corners due to frequent reading.
Fang Minghua immediately picked up the pen and signed his name on each book. After thinking for a while, he wrote some ancient poems on the first book:
"There is something in my belly." The spirit of poetry and calligraphy comes from China"
The dragon is flying and the phoenix is dancing. Of course it is written in Chinese.
"Thank you." The girl was very happy and waved to her companions, and the other girls also ran over.
Fang Minghua signed one by one.
Lucy standing on the side saw all this, the corners of her mouth moved but she didn't say anything.
"Thank you." The girls left happily.
Looking at the girls’ backs, Fang Minghua picked up the coffee cup with a smile on his face.
It feels wonderful. The book signing contract lasted for two days, and Fang Minghua had free time for the rest. He met James Kou that afternoon.
“Hi, Minghua!”
James Kou was as enthusiastic as ever, laughing and walking over, and the two hugged each other at a restaurant called Gaia Delicatessan near Charlotte Square Dinner in a small restaurant.
This is a small Italian deli and cafe specializing in Italian cuisine: pasta, cheese and antipasti.
The two ordered pasta, Paninis (iron sandwiches) and beer while drinking and chatting.
James Kou came to Fang Minghua for no other reason than to reminisce about old times.
Starting from the pasta they ate, they talked about how they met in Vento, Italy, then talked about the pleasant experience of visiting the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Terracotta Warriors in Xijing, and finally talked about Fang Minghua’s latest novel "Up the Mountain and Down the Mountain".
After this book was published in the country last year, the English version was simultaneously released in the United States and the United Kingdom.
"Minghua, I have read this novel you wrote. It is so well written. I like the poem in the book very much." You know, Minghua, I feel as if I am writing about myself ! "James Kou said.
"Write about you? "Fang Minghua was slightly surprised.
"Don't forget, I am also a member of the working class!"
Huh?
This reminds Fang Minghua of James Kou’s early experience as a truck driver.
He said that he was very tired at work. He started at 8 o'clock in the morning and worked for 12 hours. When he got home, he was exhausted both physically and mentally.
From this perspective, we are indeed a member of the working class.
"Worker brother!" Fang Minghua joked, picked up the beer glass and touched it lightly.
"Minghua, your novel reminds me of everything described in Italian new workers' literature:
James Coe began to recite again:
"I think of The sea, and the deep blue of the sea. The grand, elegant brilliance, the boundless, rich and elusive sea, the blue starry sky. I think of blue collar workers. So much history, so much struggle, so many workers marching in the streets! I really like this blue. ”
Excerpts from the novel “The Daughter in the Blue Worker’s Dress” written by Italian writer Simone Baldanzi.
The blue workman's dress refers to her mother's work clothes.
Fang Minghua discovered that James Kou was not only a writer, but also a very powerful speaker, and his words were full of appeal.
Finally, James Cole broke another big news: "To tell you the truth, I am now a member of the CPGB (Communist Party of Great Britain)! Our goal is to overthrow this evil capitalism!"
Oh my god
Fang Minghua was stunned for a moment, and immediately stretched out his right hand: "Hello, Comrade James!"
"Hello, Comrade Minghua!"
After the two shook hands, James Kou sang the popular "Internationale" in a low voice, of course in English.
Arise,yeworkersfromyourslumber,
Arise,yeprisonersofwant.
Forreasoninrevoltnowthunders,
People in the small restaurant heard something strange.
Fang Minghua couldn’t help but drink a Chinese version of it.
It’s so cool to drink some beer and sing this stuff.
This thing should not be in a palace, but in a beer hall. It is more meaningful in the streets.
The two finally returned home happily.
The next day, Fang Minghua still came to Charlotte Square. This time he did not sign any tasks and just wandered around by himself.
He saw James Coe standing on the podium again, reading aloud the poem from "Up the Mountain and Down the Mountain":
"I will stand on the high tower of the factory or Standing on the steam room and singing loudly,
or playing the Andante Cantabile on the keys like Tchaikovsky,
or playing the Andante Cantabile like the strings Write it on paper..."
Promote your political views to the crowd below.
No one cares about this in the UK.
Fang Minghua stayed at the book festival for three days in total. He was about to leave and return to London and then to the United States. Unexpectedly, he met his acquaintance, Bei Dao.
(End of this chapter)