China News Service, March 29. According to the "China News" newspaper, the "Children's Literature Gardener Award" established by China's modern children's literature master Chen Bochui has developed for more than 40 years and has now become a global "Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award".

Recently, the solicitation for the 34th Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award was officially launched. In an interview with this reporter, Xu Meiling, the person in charge of the solicitation and selection, introduced the changes and changes of the new "Chen Award" - the same is the "Chen Award". "The original intention has not changed, and he has always adhered to the concept of "writing big literature for children" advocated by Chen Bochui; what has changed is the way of exploring and supporting "big literature". The objects also focus on creation and publication in the past, and extend to the fields of research, dissemination and promotion.

Xu Meiling believes that creation, promotion and research form a complete ecosystem, which will help promote the prosperity and development of children's literature.

　　For the first time in 41 years, the "New Talent Award" welcomes people from all walks of life to tell stories

　　In 1981, Chen Bochui donated RMB 55,000 of his savings over the years to set up the "Children's Literature Gardener Award" to encourage the creation of domestic children's literature.

Old Shanghai people know that this was a huge sum of money to buy a villa in the city center at that time.

　　Chen Bochui's son, a nuclear physicist who was the president of Peking University, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chen Jia'er, once heard from his father that he originally wanted to use the money to build a school, but "thought it over and over again, I still felt that the development of children's literature was more important."

　　In 1988 and 2014, the "Children's Literature Gardener Award" was renamed as "Chen Bochui Children's Literature Award" and "Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award".

This is the first children's literature award named after a well-known writer in New China, and it is also one of the longest-running literary awards in my country.

The Soong Ching Ling Children's Literature Award established in 1986 and the Bingxin Children's Literature Award established in 1990 are both "younger" than the "Chen Award".

　　In December 2021, the 33rd "Chen Award" will be presented in Shanghai.

In the spring of this year, the 34th "Chen Prize" started a new round of selection and solicitation.

　　According to the organizer, this year, on the basis of the original "Book of the Year Award" (note: there are two categories of text awards and picture book awards, each with 5 works) and "Special Contribution Award" (1 author), a new "Book Award" will be established. Chinese Newcomer Award".

　　"One is a young person's first work, and the other is a mature writer's first attempt at children's literature, both of which are within the scope of the Newcomer Award." The person in charge of this collection and selection, the former chairman of the Education Development Committee of Aiyue Foundation, Xu Meiling, an expert on children's books and children's reading, introduced to this reporter that there are many writers who have "transformed" from other writing fields to children's literature, such as Leo Lionni, a well-known advertising designer in New York, "Leo Lionni" When I was in my 50s with my grandson on the train, I was bored and tore up a few pieces of paper as characters and made up a story, which later became a well-known picture book "Little Blue and Little Yellow", and later brought a series of outstanding works."

　　"Umberto Eco, the Italian writer and author of The Name of the Rose, said: 'I think every novel is my autobiography in a sense. When you make up a character, you give him Or her own personal recollections.' So, we welcome any new creators from across fields, such as architects, musicians, engineers, doctors, drivers, anyone who has a story and wants to express it, and hopes that their own different Experience and background can better enrich the big garden of children's literature." Xu Meiling said.

　　The "Writing Award" is extended to overseas Chinese literature circles to build a bridge of cultural communication with children's books

　　The picture book award of the "Chen Award" is an international award, while the text award is for domestic works.

This year, the organizer has expanded the scope of solicitation for the text award, and Chinese children's literature works from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries can be selected.

　　Children's books and children's literature are undoubtedly an important link to enhance mutual understanding.

As an example, Xu Meiling said: "When the epidemic is raging around the world in 2020, Zhang Mingzhou, chairman of IBBY (International Children's Book Alliance), launched the 'Global Anti-epidemic Children's Book Intertranslation and Reading' action to spread the life of Chinese children under the epidemic to the world. This project It has attracted widespread attention, and 11 Chinese original anti-epidemic children's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages ​​and put online in 45,000 libraries in 78 countries, and some member states have also submitted their own original picture books."

　　The "Pray for Peace" picture book project initiated by China, Japan and South Korea is a successful example of regional cooperation.

The program has organized creators to discuss in Nanjing. The picture books launched by the program, such as the picture book "Misplay" created by Chinese painter Yao Hong, not only help children understand the history of World War II, but also bury the seeds of love and peace in the children's hearts. heart.

　　"Different regions in the same Chinese-speaking cultural circle share a set of interoperable but also different cultural systems, making it easier to understand each other. Children's books written in Chinese can be read and understood without translation, which is conducive to promoting mutual understanding within the Chinese-speaking cultural circle. Communication and interaction." Xu Meiling believes, "Excellent children's books contain consistent values, such as honesty, friendship, caring for others, and hard work... Everyone suffers the same pain and loves the same love. On this basis , good works transcend borders.”

　　Children read "big literature" to expand the way they know themselves and perceive the world

　　In the 1950s, Chen Bochui put forward the famous "innocence theory" in the article "On Several Problems in the Creation of Children's Literature": "An accomplished writer is willing to stand with children, and is good at starting from the perspective of children, and Listening with children’s ears, seeing with children’s eyes, and especially understanding with children’s hearts, will inevitably produce works that children can understand and like to read.”

　　In another article, "On Fairy Tales", Chen Bochui reminded creators not to write fairy tales that "have a headache and treat the head and feet," and have "narrow utilitarian tendencies in education."

He has a vivid metaphor for this missionary fairy tale: "Pointing out a finger to reprimand a moral lesson is like nailing a guidepost to a lush, living little pine tree."

　　From creating in person to discovering creators, Chen Bochui has been practicing the concept of "writing big literature for children" all his life.

The "cat that wants to fly" in his pen, who can't even catch a single butterfly, but always says "I caught thirteen mice as soon as I stretch out my paws" is still a favorite of many parents. "Bedtime stories" for children.

The cat in the story, who was always in trouble and never succeeded, was inexplicably cute despite its flaws. The child was overjoyed when he saw it, and the adults also felt deja vu.

　　"Good works will take into account the ideological, literary or artistic and children's receptive ability." Xu Meiling said, "Chen Prize" insists on "writing big literature for children", and "big literature" not only refers to inspiring children to think about human nature or Falling in love with literature and art and other "big goals" should also be inclusive and take care of individuals in different groups.

"For example, if a shy person can see in a book how other similar people develop themselves, he can help himself as an example."

　　"Big Literature" has rich connotations. Xu Meiling hopes that the creators participating in this "Chen Prize" selection can fully display their creativity, "providing innovative texts can expand the way readers perceive the world and understand the world. I think this is also in line with The purpose of 'writing big literature for children'".

　　【Personal profile】

　　Chen Bochui (1906-1997), formerly known as Chen Ruxun, was born in Baoshan District, Shanghai (formerly Baoshan County, Jiangsu Province), the founder of modern Chinese children's literature, a well-known children's literature writer, translator, publisher and educator.

In February 1952, he joined the China Democratic League, and in December of the same year, he was appointed as the vice president of the first Children's Publishing House in New China (Shanghai). University children's literature professor; in May 1957, he became a professional children's literature writer and children's literature researcher of the China Writers Association.

Former Vice Chairman of Shanghai Writers Association, Professor of Chinese Department of East China Normal University.

In 1924, he created the first children's literature work "Model Classmates" (renamed "School Life" when the Commercial Press published it in 1927), and successively created and published "A Cat That Wants to Fly", "Flying Tigers and Wild Boar Forest" "Fairytales, novels and prose works such as "Pick a Star and Come Down", "Festivals in the Fairy Tale City", "Meet a Group of Water Children on the Seawall" and "The Good Camel Treasure Hunt".

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