Back to 80: My Literary Life

After the May 1 Labor Day, the weather became hot and Xijing entered summer.

The 3rd World Chinese Literature Award has been launched. The specific work is in charge of Bai Miao, and Fang Minghua has a lot of free time.

Now there is nothing on hand, Fang Minghua is ready to write the third part of 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 believer of Voldemort, the master of "black magic" and the murderer of Harry's parents. He once used a spell to end 13 lives in succession.

Harry's life has changed greatly because of this.

Compared with the first two parts, this one begins to have a dark style. If the first two parts are typical fairy tales for children, then from this part, it begins to transition to the adult world.

The protagonist and his friends are starting to grow up!

According to Fang Minghua's practice habits, write the outline first, and then write the content. Anyway, there is no rush 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. The book is being discussed with the French Flamarion Publishing House and the Spanish Salvater Publishing Company to publish the French and Spanish versions.

At the same time, publishers in Argentina and Chile, which belong to the Spanish-speaking South American region, are also very interested 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 in the United Kingdom and the United States at the beginning of next year.

As for the third book, which is being written now, the publication date has been scheduled to be early 1998, so why rush?

This morning, Fang Minghua, as usual, took the German shepherd bean sprouts to Lao Liu's house outside Chaoyangmen to drink a bowl of spicy soup, and then took a walk back home.

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

Before opening the word document, the landline on the desk rang. Fang Minghua picked up the microphone casually: "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 now. I have something important to tell you."

Chen Zhongshi is looking for me?

Fang Minghua will never go to the office unless there is a meeting of the Writers Association. He is free and easy at home.

Chen Zhongshi wants him to go now, which seems to be an urgent matter, so he said: "Okay, I'll come right away."

Put on his coat and go downstairs. When he got to the yard, Fang Minghua said hello to the nanny, then went to the garage and drove his Toyota SUV to turn into East Fifth Road and drove west.

Arriving at the Writers Association compound, the car stopped 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, yesterday afternoon I received a notice from the National Writers Association asking you to participate in the evaluation of the 4th Mao Dun Literature Award."

"Me?" Fang Minghua was a little surprised.

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

Fuck!

I avoided the selection of the World Chinese Literature Award, and now I have to face the selection of the Mao Dun Award!

But this thing is probably unavoidable.

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

"Well, when are you going to Yanjing?" Fang Minghua asked.

"I guess I will leave in a few days. You should be prepared and wait for the notice."

"Okay, nothing, I'll leave first."

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

"Minghua." Chen Zhongshi suddenly called out.

"What else?"

"No, nothing, go and do your thing." Chen Zhongshi looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

Fang Minghua did not ask any more questions and left the office.

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

Let him participate in the final review of the Mao Dun Literature Award?

Fang Minghua really couldn't think of it.

Just last year, the fourth Mao Dun Literature Award was launched, and the book "The Piano in a Factory" he wrote was highly praised and could win this year's Mao Dun Literature Award.

According to the understanding of the Mao Dun Literature Award selection rules, the preliminary review of this year's Mao Dun Award was a review group (reading class) composed of 23 members to select 20 works and send them to the jury for final review. Although these 20 works were not made public, Fang Minghua got the gossip that his "The Piano in a Factory" was not included.

The reason is very simple. It's not that he wrote badly, but "Crossing Guandong" has won the second Mao Dun Prize. The third part of "Ordinary World", the third Mao Dun Prize-winning work, was also written by him. His name was on the final list of winners. How could he continue to win the prize in the fourth prize?

In fact, Fang Minghua had been mentally prepared for this, so he was not surprised.

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

Chen Zhongshi's hesitant look just now, is it to say this?

Fang Minghua went upstairs and sat down 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 of the Mao Dun Prize. Congratulations."

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

"Hey, you forgot, my friend Bai Ye, who works at the National Writers Association, told me."

Is that so!

"Brother Jia, what good thing is this? Congratulations?" Fang Minghua said, "You have also participated in the reading class of the Chinese Literature Award. There are 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 join, I would never join the fun." Fang Minghua sighed.

Jia Pingwa believes this.

Take the World Chinese Literature Award for example. Fang Minghua organized it himself, but he never wanted to join the judging committee. He only served as a judge in the preliminary reading class.

In recent years, the influence of the World Chinese Literature Award has not only expanded domestically, but also internationally. Serving on the judging committee is a matter of fame and fortune, but he just doesn't do it!

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

"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, and I still need to take special care of it?!"

"Haha. You are right, I think too much, there is no problem for Zhongshi's novel to win the award!" On the other end of the phone, Jia Pingwa immediately changed his words and sighed again:

"If Zhongshi's "White Deer Plain" wins the award, the four of us, you, Lu Yao, and Zhongshi will 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 Mao Dun Prize, but it did not pass the preliminary review, and the vote rate was also very low. He was a little frustrated.

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

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

Jia Pingwa on the other end of the phone also laughed: "You said that, I feel much better. Don't worry, I will continue to write, I don't believe I can't win this Mao Dun Prize!"

Courageous!

But in the end he did win.

After hanging up the phone with Jia Pingwa, Fang Minghua didn't write anything, but thought about these things.

This year's Mao Dun Prize has many twists and turns.