Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 734 Participating in the Evaluation of the Fourth Mao Dun Prize

After May 5.1st Labor Day, the weather becomes hot and Xijing enters summer.

The third World Chinese Literature Award has been launched, and Bai Miao is in charge of the specific work, so Fang Minghua has some free time.

With nothing else on hand now, Fang Minghua is preparing to start writing the third book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter has spent two extraordinary years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is rumored that Black is a loyal follower of Voldemort, a master of "dark magic" and the murderer of Harry's parents, and once ended 13 lives in succession with a spell.

Harry's life changed dramatically as a result.
Compared with the first two parts, this one starts to have a dark style. If the first two parts are typical fairy tales for children, then from this part, it starts to transition to the adult world.

The protagonist and his friends are starting to grow up!

According to Fang Minghua's writing habits, he writes the outline first and then the content. There is no rush anyway and there is plenty of time.

Li Li said in the email that the first Harry Potter book is still selling well, the French and Spanish translations have been completed and proofread, and she is negotiating with France's Flammarion Publishing House and Spain's Salvater Publishing Company to publish the French and Spanish versions.

Publishers in Argentina and Chile, which are part of Spanish-speaking South America, also have a keen interest in this book and hope to introduce it to their countries.

The English version of the second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", has been fully translated and is scheduled to be released simultaneously in the UK and the US early next year.

As for the third volume that I am writing now, the publication date has been scheduled for early 98, so why rush?
This morning, Fang Minghua, as usual, took German Shepherd Dou Miao to Lao Liu's house outside Chaoyangmen to drink a bowl of spicy soup, and then took a stroll back home.

The wife went to work, the two children went to school, the nanny was cleaning the yard, and Fang Minghua went upstairs to make himself a cup of Mingqian tea produced by Hupao Spring, and turned on the computer to prepare to write.

Before he opened the word document, the landline on the desk rang. Fang Minghua picked up the receiver and asked, "Who is this?"

A girl's voice came from the microphone, speaking standard Xijing dialect.

"Hello, Chairman Fang, I'm Xiao Wu from the office. Chairman Chen asked you to come to the office right now. He has something important to tell you."

Chen Zhongshi is looking for me?
Now, Fang Minghua will never go to work unless there is a meeting of the Writers Association or something important. He lives a free and easy life by himself.

Chen Zhongshi now wanted him to come over, which seemed to be urgent, so he said, "Okay, I'll be right there."

After putting on his coat and going downstairs, Fang Minghua said hello to the nanny in the yard, then went to the garage, drove his Toyota SUV, turned onto East Fifth Road, and drove west.

When they arrived at the Writers Association compound, they parked the car in front of the office building. Fang Minghua went up to the second floor and knocked on Chen Zhongshi's office door.

Since they were all acquaintances, there was no need to be polite. Chen Zhongshi got straight to the point: "Minghua, I received a notice from the National Writers Association yesterday afternoon, asking you to participate in the judging of the 4th Mao Dun Literature Award."

"Me?" Fang Minghua was a little surprised.

"Yes, the preliminary review of this year's Mao Dun Prize was completed last year. According to the arrangement of the Writers Association, a selection committee will be established immediately to start the final review. You will be a member of the selection committee."

What the hell!

Having avoided the selection for the World Chinese Literature Award, now he has to face the selection for the Mao Dun Prize!
But I guess I can't avoid this thing.

"Yesterday, Comrade Deng Youmei, vice chairman of the Writers Association and one of the vice chairmen of the selection committee, called me and told me about this matter. The official notice will be sent to me soon." Chen Zhongshi finally said.

"Okay then, when are we going to Yanjing?" Fang Minghua asked.

"I estimate that I will leave in a few days. You should be prepared and wait for notification."

"Okay, nothing else, I'm leaving now."

When Fang Minghua saw a pile of documents on Chen Zhongshi’s desk, he knew he was busy, so he stood up.

"Minghua." Chen Zhongshi suddenly called out.

"Is there anything else?" "No, nothing, just go and do your thing." Chen Zhongshi looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Fang Minghua didn't ask any more questions and left the office.

He went up to the third floor and took a look around the Chinese Literature Award Judging Office. Nothing major happened, so he drove back to his home.

Let yourself participate in the final review of the Mao Dun Literature Prize?

Fang Minghua really couldn't imagine it.

Just last year, the fourth Mao Dun Literature Prize was launched, and my book, The Piano in a Factory, was highly anticipated to win this year's Mao Dun Literature Prize.

According to the Mao Dun Literature Prize selection rules, this year's Mao Dun Prize preliminary review was conducted by a 23-member review panel (reading class) that selected 20 works and sent them to the jury for final review. Although these 20 works were not made public, Fang Minghua heard through the grapevine that his "The Piano in a Factory" was not on the list.

The reason is very simple. It's not that he writes badly, but that "Crossing the Guandong" has already won the second Mao Dun Prize, and the third part of "Ordinary World", the winning work of the third Mao Dun Prize, was also written by him. His name is on the final list of winners. How could he possibly allow you to continue to win the award in the fourth session?
In fact, Fang Ming had been mentally prepared for this, so he was not surprised.

It is an open secret that among the works written by Qin Province writers in recent years, the only one that entered the final review stage was "White Deer Plain" by Chen Zhongshi.

Was this what Chen Zhongshi meant by the look of wanting to say something but stopping himself just now?
Fang Minghua went upstairs and sat at the desk again. The landline on the desk rang again. This time it was Jia Pingwa calling.

"Minghua, I heard that you are joining the selection committee for the Mao Dun Prize. Congratulations."

"Oh, you knew it so quickly? I just came back from Teacher Chen's office and he told me." Fang Minghua said.

"Hehe. You forgot, my friend Bai Ye, who works at the National Writers Association, told me this."

That's it!

"Brother Jia, this is such a good thing. You should congratulate me?" Fang Minghua said, "You have also participated in the reading class for the Chinese Literature Award. There were endless works to read, endless meetings to attend, constant arguments, and some social etiquette. To be honest, if the Writers Association hadn't specifically asked me to go, I would definitely not join in the fun." Fang Minghua sighed.

Jia Pingwa believes this.

Take the World Chinese Literature Award for example. Fang Minghua was in charge of it, but he always refused to join the jury and only served as a judge in the preliminary review reading class.

In recent years, the influence of the World Chinese Literature Award has been expanding not only in China but also internationally. Serving on the jury would bring both fame and fortune, but he just doesn't want to do it!

"Hey, Minghua, I heard that Zhongshi's "White Deer Plain" has entered the final review. You'd better give it a push when the time comes. Zhongshi is embarrassed to speak, so let me speak!" Jia Pingwa suddenly said, changing the subject.

"Look at what you said." Fang Minghua pretended to be unhappy. "The quality of this "White Deer Plain" is there! Both the artistry and readability are impeccable. Do you still need my special care?!"

"Haha. You're right. I thought too much. There's no doubt that this novel by Zhongshi will win the award!" Jia Pingwa immediately changed his words on the other end of the phone and sighed:
"If the China Times' White Deer Plain wins the prize, and the four of us, you, Lu Yao, and China Times, all win the Mao Dun Prize, when will it be my turn?"

It is said that Jia Pingwa's "Wasteland" was also submitted for this year's Mao Dun Prize, but it failed the initial review and received very low votes, which made him a little depressed.

Fang Minghua felt that he should comfort her: "Brother Jia, why are you sighing? You are in love now, and you have married a beautiful woman. Who in the Writers Association wouldn't envy you?!"

It turned out that not long ago, Jia Pingwa and Guo Mei held a wedding, and of course a group of friends went to congratulate him and wished him a baby soon.

Jia Pingwa on the other end of the phone laughed out loud when he heard this: "Now that you say that, I feel much better. Don't worry, I will continue to write. I don't believe that I won't win the Mao Dun Prize!"

remarkably brave!

But in the end, he did get it.

After hanging up the call with Jia Pingwa, Fang Minghua didn't type anything and started thinking about these things.

This year's Mao Dun Prize has been full of twists and turns.

(End of this chapter)