THE award-winning Shanghai author, Qiu Xiaolong is just one of the novelists in town this week to promote the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. The festival aims to promote Chinese writers as well as the city of Shanghai.

Taking place this weekend, at M on the Bund the festival includes talks and discussions by top Asian-Pacific writers. Aimed at expatriates and students it hopes to foster better understanding between Chinese and Western audiences and writers alike.

Qiu was born in Shanghai in 1953, and the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) during his childhood had a lasting impact on his life and writings. In 1988 he moved to the US to study at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, having developed a love and appreciation for English as an adolescent.

He remains in the US. It was during these years that he began writing poetry and fiction in English.

Past and present

His first detective novel, "The Red Heroine", focuses largely on the actions and consequences of the "cultural revolution". It looks at Shanghai in the mid-1990s as a city caught between reverence for the past and fascination with a tantalizing, market-driven present. He uses his novel largely as a window through which to view Chinese society.

When asked about his thoughts on the new ultra-modern Shanghai, he answered, Shanghai is very different in many ways. Firstly materially - there are many new buildings which did not exist before such as M on the Bund. Secondly it has changed spiritually. People no longer follow the old Party slogan 'Hard Working, Simple Living' instead Shanghai has become a city ruled by the petty bourgeoisie."

Having grown up in era largely dominated by Mao's re-education process, Qiu is struck by the difference in attitudes held by today's youth. His novel which was written in English and translated into Chinese is not as irrelevant for a Chinese audience as he thought it might be. He originally wrote his books to explain to Western audiences the political and cultural landscape of China and did not think that they would be translated into Chinese.

What struck him on his numerous visits to the country was that many younger people were ignorant of China's colourful history. His novels have become relevant to Chinese readers by explaining that part of history.

Lost in translation

The translation of his books is one of the hot topics for the talk he will be delivering this weekend. "Red Heroine" was translated by Shanghai journalist Yu Lei. Since he can speak both languages and has already translated a number of poems, it's confusing why Qiu used a translator. "I used a translator because I felt instead of creating something new from the original I would completely change the meaning of the book," he responded.

The talk entitled, "Lost in Translation", will focus not only on the translation of meaning but also on the translation of one culture into another.

His talk will also focus on his other writings including many of his poems which focus on his life in China and the US. These works have been inspired by the poet T.S. Elliot. His use of poetry in his books is another novel point for discussion. "Most novels in China contain much more poetry (than Western novels)", explains Qiu. "At the start of the chapter, at the end, and in the middle - and sometimes they use a poem to introduce a new character. I tried to keep to this kind of Chinese tradition."

His new novel, "Red is Black" has already been released in France where it has been favourably received, having already sold enough copies for a 2nd edition to be printed. Asked whether he would write any novels about contemporary China, Qiu smiles saying "I am too close to be objective. I need to gain a proper perspective before I can write about the present."

(Please refer to page 26 for the event time and location.)