Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 615 International Federation of Literary and Art Circles Launches in Shanghai (7k words per chapter)
As night fell, Tiananmen Square was bustling with activity, and the area around Qianmen was also much more lively than usual.

In the early 1980s, night market economy began to emerge in Yanjing, forming several well-known night districts. Boosting the economy was the top priority, and many places were criticized by newspapers for failing to meet the nighttime consumption needs of the public and tourists due to businesses closing too early.

On Qianmen Street, students and young people from Yenching University gathered to hold various activities, allowing their energy to be fully released. Shops and restaurants opened their doors to welcome visitors from all directions, and various food stalls were set up at their entrances, with shouts and calls rising and falling.

"Comrades, come, come, give us a bowl of tea each, no leftover tea, just the fine pieces." As they walked up to the Daqianmen tea stall, Liu Yimin shouted loudly into the room.

After spending the whole afternoon in the Forbidden City, everyone was tired, so having a bowl of tea was a good way to rest.

Liu Yimin hadn't been to the Daqianmen tea stall in a long time; many of the men and women there had changed. As the first group of young people to collectively revitalize their businesses and make money, their minds were more active than others.

“Yimin, are you suggesting our Latin American counterparts drink this? Is that it?” Tang Dacheng walked over and asked in a low voice.

“Hey, if you’re here to experience Beijing culture, you have to have some tea, right? I didn’t even order any high-quality tea,” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Turning to Marquez and the others, Liu Yimin explained that this was the tea culture of old Yanjing, and that drinking tea was an essential part of experiencing old Yanjing.

Marquez laughed and said, "Tea, tea is a luxury in China, we must try it."

"Chinese tea is divided into many grades, and this is the tea that ordinary Chinese people drink. Teahouses are similar to coffee shops in the West. Chinese people chat in teahouses, and teahouses also serve the practical purpose of quenching thirst," Liu Yimin explained.

Vargas Llosa said, "I know about Chinese history. China once controlled the world's trade with tea, silk and porcelain. I tasted the tea at a banquet hosted by Spanish nobles. I must try the tea on this street and see how it differs from the tea in Spain."

The tea was served quickly. The Latin American delegation looked at the bustling Qianmen Street and smelled the aroma wafting from the teahouse. Their Adam's apples bobbed involuntarily.

"The temperature is about right, everyone please have a taste."

Liu Yimin gave them a demonstration; he took one sip and half a bowl of tea was gone.

"Isn't tea meant to be savored?" José asked.

"That's how you drink tea from a big bowl—do whatever makes you feel comfortable!"

The delegation was large, and after they sat down, they booked the entire tea stall. Márquez drank two bowls of tea.

Ba Jin whispered to Cao Yu, "It's been so many years since I've had a big bowl of tea. This time I took a sip, and it tasted pretty good."

"Haha, let's drink tea. Sometimes it's all about the lively atmosphere, the warmth of the furnace." Cao Yu finished his tea with a satisfied look. He turned to look at Liu Yimin, wondering how this kid came up with the idea of ​​serving foreign guests large bowls of tea.

After finishing his drink, Márquez carefully observed the staff at the tea stall, thinking that he must record this experience when he returned home—an open-air café in the East.

After resting, the group continued their tour of the Qianmen Night Market. Marquez and the others showed interest in the street food. However, Liu Yimin dared not let them eat whatever they wanted; the group of elderly men might get sick and cause trouble.

"That's Dashilan ahead. Fengzeyuan, where we ate yesterday, is right there. Besides Fengzeyuan, there are a lot of century-old shops around here," Liu Yimin said.

After wandering around Dashilan, Márquez and his companions finally decided to have hot pot. Since they were going to have hot pot, they wanted to have the authentic kind, so they headed to Donglaishun restaurant.

It would take some time for the accompanying vehicle to arrive, so Liu Yimin took them to visit Neiliansheng. After trying on the shoes, Marquez and the others praised them highly and immediately bought two pairs each.

“Liu, these aren’t shoes, they’re handicrafts. I see that you Chinese people like to wear them, and they even appear at diplomatic occasions,” José said.

"Yes, our leader really likes to wear Neiliansheng shoes."

Xia Yan and Cao Yu explained to them that cloth shoes were more comfortable and breathable than shoes worn by Westerners, and even showed them the cloth shoes they were wearing.

"But don't wear them when you go on long trips, your feet will hurt if you wear them for a long time." Ba Jin then pointed to the leather shoes on his feet: "But they are still more comfortable than leather shoes."

After the convoy arrived, the group of people took a car to Donglaishun. At Donglaishun, they experienced authentic Chinese hot pot.

The Writers' Association translator stood up and told them how to eat hot pot and what the seasonings were. Liu Yimin prepared a bowl for Márquez and let him try it.

"It's like a Western sauce."

"That's a fair understanding, but it's quite different from Western jams. The most important ingredient is sesame."

After all the ingredients were put in, the Latin Americans didn't believe it was cooked. Only after Liu Yimin personally demonstrated did they start using the fork.

Using a fork to eat hot pot is also unique to scorpions when they poop.

At first, they were skeptical, but after the first bite, everyone was captivated by the aroma and their appetites were whetted.

The fresh mutton was cooked and taken out, then coated with sesame paste and other seasonings. The first taste was the aroma of sesame, followed by the rich flavor of meat, creating distinct layers. After walking around all afternoon, Liu Yimin couldn't help but eat a few more bites.

Marquez commented that of all the countries he had visited and the many dishes he had eaten, Chinese food was the most distinctive.

Vargas Llosa believes that the food in African countries is the worst and most unpalatable: "And then there's India, oh, Indians cook like they're cooking in a dung heap."

Liu Yimin and Marquez just smiled and didn't reply, while Cao Yu and the others simply said that different countries' foods have their own characteristics.

Vargas Llosa is digging a hole for himself; the international literary association they're trying to establish is all based in Third World countries. I'm just making a rant here today, and tomorrow it might be broadcast as news of racial discrimination.

"Mr. Vargas Llosa, if you like it, have some more," Liu Yimin said with a faint smile.

After the meal, each of us drank a cup of tea to aid digestion.

José wiped his mouth and said, "I think it won't be long before I fall in love with China. Why didn't I choose China when I was in exile? That way I could have tasted Chinese food earlier."

José's joke was truly hellish. Ba Jin said, "Mr. José is welcome to visit China often in the future."

After the meal, the group did not linger and the Latin American writers' delegation returned to the Yanjing Hotel to rest.

After everyone left, Cao Yu rubbed his leg and said wearily, "It feels like my leg doesn't belong to me anymore."

“Teacher, let me take you back to rest.” Liu Yimin supported Cao Yu’s arm.

"No need, no need, you should go back too. I have a driver to take me home." Cao Yu turned around and told the domestic writers' representative to go home and rest.

When Liu Yimin returned to the courtyard house, the two little ones were practicing how to tie their shoelaces.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, the two ran over. Zhu Lin quickly said, "You two shouldn't bother Dad. He's very tired after a long day of work. Ximei, go check if the bathwater in the bathroom is hot?"

Liu Yimin sat on a stone bench, placed the two little ones on his lap, and asked what the teacher had taught at school that day.

"Dad, this is a mouth, this is a nose, and these are eyes. The teacher said that from now on we should tie our own shoelaces and dress ourselves, and not always let Mom and Dad dress us. But we didn't let Mom and Dad dress us; it was Grandpa and Grandma, and Aunt Ximei who dressed us," Liu Lin said, puzzled.

Liu Yu held Liu Yimin's chin in her hands and shook it repeatedly, saying, "Dad, does that mean we don't have to learn? Tying shoelaces is so troublesome, Mom can't teach me."

Liu Yimin was speechless when he heard the two little ones say this: "You can't learn and you're blaming your mother? The teacher didn't say you can't tie your parents' clothes, but that you can't let anyone tie them for you, understand? Study hard!"

"Oh, that's because the teacher didn't explain it clearly," Liu Yu said, swinging her legs.

Zhu Lin slapped Liu Yu: "If you can't learn it, I'll teach you again tomorrow."

Xi Mei came over and said that the hot water was ready. Zhu Lin picked up the two little ones and let Liu Yimin take a bath.

When Zhu Lin returned to the room, she saw Liu Yimin lying on the bed, fast asleep.

There were no activities scheduled for the second morning, and in the afternoon, everyone visited the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature, where I explained the development of modern Chinese literature to them.

The actual exchange activities were scheduled for the third day, in the auditorium of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The two sides had previously exchanged views on the history and comparison of Chinese and Latin American literature, so this discussion mainly focused on the future of Chinese and Latin American literature.

In a somber tone, Márquez told his Latin American and Chinese counterparts that in the foreseeable future, literature would become less important in people's lives, as people would have more things to enjoy than somewhat dry and incomprehensible literary works.

The global decline of pure literature has become a consensus. How literature in various countries should respond to this decline, and how to ensure that literary thought does not regress but advances in the face of market downturn, are topics for discussion.

But when this topic was raised, both China and Latin America remained deathly silent. The decline of literature is an unstoppable trend; this is a consensus among all.

Seeing that no one spoke, Liu Yimin continued, "I think the literary market may shrink, but it will exist in another form. Literature will not disappear from our lives because literature is the expression of thought and emotion. As long as one is a person, one needs to express emotions."

He might not use "One Hundred Years of Solitude" to express his emotions, but he would express them in other forms of writing.

First, literature will not disappear. Second, excellent literary works still have vitality, but what constitutes an excellent work needs to be defined jointly by readers and writers. Literature exists not because of writers, but because of readers.

Third, literature will survive in other forms; excellent literary works can be reproduced through animation, film, and other media.

“Literary forms of expression may change, but I believe that some excellent works cannot be expressed through film and television. Truly excellent works can only be perceived by readers through words.” Vargas Llosa looked at Liu Yimin with melancholy.

As great writers, they preferred self-expression and writing what they wanted to write. They were not young writers who needed to pander to readers.

The morning's discussion yielded no results; instead, both sides mostly recounted the changes in their respective domestic pure literature markets.

At noon, Liu Yimin approached Márquez and, on behalf of Yenching University, extended an invitation to Márquez to become a lifetime honorary professor at Yenching University.

“Mr. Márquez, Yenching University, where I am located, is the highest institution of literature in China. Therefore, your appointment as a lifetime honorary professor at Yenching University is a meeting of a top literary writer and a top literary education base in the East.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Márquez readily replied, "It is an honor for me to be awarded the title of Honorary Professor for Life by Yenching University."

Liu Yimin smiled upon hearing this, surprised that Marquez did not hesitate at all.

In the afternoon, a Xinhua News Agency reporter was scheduled to conduct an exclusive interview with Márquez, but Liu Yimin did not disturb him further.

As Liu Yimin was leaving, Márquez suddenly said, "Liu, do you know why I agreed to the Xinhua News Agency's exclusive interview?"

"Why? Isn't it because of communication?" Liu Yimin asked curiously.

"Haha, that's only part of the reason. Liu, I have a long history with China. Back when I was a journalist in Cuba, the Cuban news agency was short of accommodation, and it was the Xinhua News Agency's Havana branch that took me in and let me stay in the room of the Chinese staff for free."

"Oh? Do you remember the Xinhua News Agency reporter from back then?"

"There was one surnamed Pang, but I don't remember the rest."

Liu Yimin roughly knew who it was. In several meetings with Xinhua News Agency, he met a leader surnamed Pang, who was fluent in Spanish and had worked as a journalist in Latin America for a long time.

The afternoon interview began, and the reporter from Xinhua News Agency confirmed Liu Yimin's guess—Pang Bing'an was about to become the vice president of Xinhua News Agency.

During the interview with Mu Qing, Pang Bing'an shook hands with Márquez and said, "As soon as the photos of the 1982 Nobel Prize were released, I immediately recognized you. The young man who was writing at the table in our Xinhua News Agency room back then has actually become a Nobel Prize laureate in Literature."

Liu Yimin did not participate in the specific interviews; the other Latin American representatives had their own schedules. For example, Vargas Llosa, as president of PEN International, visited the China PEN Center together with Ba Jin.

Liu Yimin returned to Yenching University and told President Ding Shisun and Yan Jiayan that Gabriel García Márquez had accepted the title of Honorary Professor for Life from the Chinese Department. Upon hearing this, Yan Jiayan asked again in disbelief, "Really?"

"Professor Yan, you heard me right, it's true. I checked the schedule, and we can insert a presentation ceremony the day after tomorrow," Liu Yimin said.

Ding Shisun stood up and said, "Old Yan, the Chinese Department and the school office should work together to prepare and broadcast this news through the campus radio."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away," Yan Jiayan said with a smile, and before leaving, he patted Liu Yimin on the shoulder: "Well done."

When the news was broadcast, the teachers and students of Yenching University initially did not believe it. However, when they heard that it was true, many people had the idea of ​​attending the awarding ceremony and wanted to see the world-class literary giant.

That evening, CCTV News broadcast a segment of an interview with Márquez.

Specific details of the interview will be available in tomorrow's newspaper.

During the Latin American delegation's stay in Yenching, the Chinese literary community kept a close eye on Yenching and the newspapers; any slight movement would spark much speculation.

Liu Yimin, Márquez, and José did not mention the establishment of the International Federation of Literary Societies in public, but the three discussed it extensively in private.

When he heard that Liu Yimin had already raised over ten thousand US dollars for the establishment of the International Federation of Literary Associations, Márquez said in surprise, "Liu, I didn't expect you to be ahead of us. We were still worried about money, and we were wondering whether to take some from our royalties. With over ten thousand US dollars in establishment funds, everything will be much easier."

José and I contacted many writers, and about fifty writers from developing countries expressed their interest in joining, but the membership fees have not yet been finalized.

Jose said, "I think a membership fee of $40 would be appropriate, which is not high for writers."

“Forty dollars is quite a high amount for African countries. We can adjust the membership fees according to the different standards of different countries, without increasing the personal burden on writers, and analyze each country specifically.” Liu Yimin felt that this was relatively fair.

Márquez also believed that forty dollars was too much of a burden for many writers. When he was a journalist, he certainly wouldn't have been willing to spend forty dollars a year on this.

"Our donations range from five to fifty dollars, firstly based on the circumstances of each country, and secondly based on the writer's personal wishes. We can also open an internal donation channel, where writers with the ability can provide more funds to the organization." Liu Yimin explained his plan in detail. Writers in third-world countries live a hard life, but once they become famous in the world, their lives become quite comfortable.

“Okay, let’s go with this approach. Liu, do you have any recommendations for the International Federation of Writers’ venue? Some Indian writers want the venue to be in India, because they think India hosts many international conferences, such as the Non-Aligned Movement,” Márquez asked.

"I think Shanghai is a more suitable city. Our International Federation of Literary and Art Circles unites developing countries, but that doesn't mean we don't exchange ideas with the literary communities of other countries. Shanghai is a major city in China with strong connections both domestically and internationally."

Moreover, as the largest developing country, China is better able to represent the Third World. Liu Yimin pointed to Shanghai on the map.

I never expected India to interfere. It's like a toad crawling on your foot—not scary, but disgusting.

Including Liu Yimin's suggestion, there are currently three potential locations: Shanghai, New Delhi, and Cairo, Egypt. Neither Márquez nor José mentioned Latin America as a possible location.

They also felt that Latin America was too remote and not conducive to writers traveling there for exchanges.

Liu Yimin went on to explain the advantages of choosing Shanghai as the location and offered to show them around the city when they arrived.

After discussion, the two agreed to focus their investigation on Shanghai.

On October 4th, Gabriel García Márquez attended the ceremony at Yenching University to be awarded the title of Honorary Professor for Life.

Many teachers and students wanted to attend in person, but the Yenching University lecture hall could not accommodate many people, so a large number of students crowded around the paths leading to the lecture hall.

At the ceremony, Ding Shisun, on behalf of Yenching University, conferred upon Márquez the honorary title of Honorary Professor for Life.

Gabriel García Márquez delivered a keynote speech entitled "Magical Realism is Realism," recounting his creative journey and the history and current state of Latin America.

Cao Yu, Xia Yan, and others accompanied him, but Liu Yimin did not attend.

He and Ba Jin discussed the specific location of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles with people from the Shanghai Writers Association. The Shanghai Writers Association recommended a villa next to the Writers Association as the address of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The Shanghai Writers Association is located on Julu Road in the JA district, which is quite a distance from the Huangpu River.

“Mr. Ba knows this house; here’s a picture of it.” The Shanghai Writers Association immediately handed the picture to Liu Yimin.

Ba Jin said, "This location is good, but isn't it too close to the Shanghai Writers Association? It gives people the impression that..."

"It is indeed quite close. Are there any others?" Liu Yimin asked.

"There is another one, near People's Square in Shanghai. It is not a villa, but a ground-floor office building, not far from Jinling East Road."

Liu Yimin picked up the photo and looked at it carefully. The location was quiet despite being in a busy area, and the space was large enough; it was a good place.

"How much is the rent here?" Liu Yimin asked curiously.

"Rental fees are waived."

"No, once the location is confirmed, we still have to pay some rent, and the property rights must be clearly defined."

Liu Yimin handed the photo to Ba Jin, who pondered for a moment: "This place is quite nice. Let's go take a look together sometime. Yimin, how did your discussion with Márquez go?"

"Currently, there are three potential locations: Shanghai, New Delhi, and Egypt."

"The competition is still quite fierce!"

"The probability of it going to the Shanghai Stock Exchange is very high. I've already raised over ten thousand US dollars!" Liu Yimin said casually.

"Hahaha." Ba Jin revealed a smile that spoke volumes.

As his trip to Yanjing was coming to an end, Liu Yimin invited Latin American writers to record a program together, and the next episode of "Youth Night Talk" will feature this segment.

Besides discussing literature, the program also talked about their views on China in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation after arriving in Yenching.

Among the various aspects of daily life, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, the one mentioned most was food. The group praised Chinese food highly, especially José, who even wanted to go to the restaurant kitchen to learn some cooking skills.

"We feel that Chinese people are very spirited and have a strong fighting spirit. In many third-world countries, many young people show a passive attitude towards life, and they are at a loss. The country has not changed, and their young people have not changed either."

We see China changing, and the Chinese people changing too.” Sabato said, seemingly understanding why the Chinese were so determined to develop nuclear weapons.

Sabato was eager to exchange ideas with Chinese nuclear physicists during his trip, but according to the relevant arrangements, it was impossible for them to grant him this request.

After the recording of the program, Márquez asked Liu Yimin about the purpose of making the program.

Liu Yimin smiled and said, "This is a program specifically made for young people. Its purpose is to help young people build self-confidence and provide guidance when necessary. In a time when the country is developing rapidly, our young people are actually quite confused."

"Build confidence?"

"Yes, we need to build confidence in moving forward."

The night before departing for Shanghai, Liu Yimin handed the novel "Piglet" to Márquez, who then asked a translator to give it a rough translation.

The next day, on the plane to Shanghai, Márquez said to Liu Yimin, "I have briefly looked into the first half of 'Piglet,' and I think the description of suffering is very apt. I look forward to translating it into Spanish."

"Thank you, I believe it will be translated into Spanish soon."

Cao Yu and Ba Jin also wanted to watch it, but as a matter of hospitality, the guests had to be allowed to watch it first.

We landed in Shanghai around 10 a.m., rested until 2 p.m., and then visited Jinling East Road and the Bund in the afternoon.

The Shanghai representative introduced the scenery and businesses along the Huangpu River. At this time, many foreign companies had already settled in Shanghai, which was a result of the reform and opening up in recent years.

Looking at the Western-style buildings on Jinling East Road, José remarked that it was no wonder many foreign newspapers called Shanghai "the Paris of the East."

After following his entourage forward, Mars asked Liu Yimin if there were any specific locations to choose from.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin smiled and said, "I learned through colleagues from the Shanghai Writers Association that there is a place that can be considered as a site."

"Shall we go take a look?" Marquez became interested.

"It's not far from here, we can go anytime."

Led by the Shanghai Writers Association, Liu Yimin and his group arrived at a low-rise office building. The building appeared to be newly built, blending seamlessly with the surrounding architecture, while Western-style buildings stood in the distance.

“Shanghai is not only the Paris of the East, but also a transportation hub of the East.” Liu Yimin led them upstairs for a tour.

Standing by the window, PEN International President Mario Vargas Llosa gazed at People's Square in the distance and praised it as a good place: "Even PEN International's headquarters in London is no better than this. For a literary organization like ours, we are destined to be a loosely connected organization, and we don't need a large office space."

“It is indeed a very nice place.” Márquez stroked the wall and smiled.

When Jose did not object, Liu Yimin knew that everything was settled.

Currently, there are only three people involved in the preparations for the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Since the three of them have no objections, there is no need to consult the opinions of others.

"How difficult is it for international organizations to register in Shanghai?" Jose suddenly asked.

"It's not difficult. Foreign capital is coming in now, not to mention international organizations," Liu Yimin said.

"I heard that you conduct vetting of some international foundations and associations?" Jose pressed again.

“The International Federation of Literary and Art Circles is different; Shanghai welcomes international organizations that promote international exchange and cooperation to set up operations here.” There were too many people here, so Liu Yimin didn’t go into specifics about the differences.

Bajin told Márquez, "Our local government will support the development of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles and can provide assistance in various aspects."

Márquez looked at José and Liu Yimin: "I think we should hold a vote."

All three agreed, so the vote passed, and they no longer considered New Delhi and Cairo.

Vargas Llosa walked up to the three men and said, "Congratulations on the official establishment of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles. I hope that PEN International can establish a friendly and close cooperative relationship with the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles and jointly promote international literary exchanges and cooperation."

“I’m hosting a dinner party at home tonight, featuring authentic Sichuan cuisine. I look forward to everyone coming and enjoying it,” Ba Jin said as he came out.

The address of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles has now been determined, but there is still a long way to go before it is officially established.

For the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles to be truly established, a general membership meeting needs to be held to call on writers from developing countries around the world to actively participate and come to Shanghai to discuss the charter and related rules of the International Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The three discussed the timing of the first conference and tentatively set it for April 1988.

The goal of the first conference was to attract one hundred members worldwide and to establish branches in major developing countries.

Just as PEN International has PEN centers in various countries, organizations exist in different regions, and each region can attract more members through these regional organizations.

(End of this chapter)