Contemporary Chinese literature has taken the center stage at the Paris Book Festival that opened on Friday, in an effort to promote Chinese culture.

At the three-day book festival, an event to promote contemporary Chinese literature took place. Consisting of seven session, the event aims to showcase Chinese books through copyright exports and cultural exchanges, and form a matrix for the international distribution of Chinese literary works.
Led by the China Writers Association, Chinese publishers, literary journals, and book companies worked together under a new-era literature program, hoping to create a comprehensive ecosystem for literary production, promotion, transformation, and translation that promotes outstanding literary works. Well-known Chinese writers, and renowned Sinologists, publishers, and translators from France attended the event.
"I think literature is the study of people. It must be about the most basic emotions and fate of people. The so-called big picture of the times actually should not be given too much consideration, as all ordinary people reflect the big-picture of the times. That's my understanding. Hence, my focus is on writing about the experiences of ordinary people," said Qiao Ye, vice chairwoman of the Beijing Writers' Association.
One of Qiao's novels "Baoshui Village" has been displayed at the festival.
Published in November 2022, the Mao Dun Literature Prize winner tells the story of a middle-aged woman, who is plagued by severe insomnia, moving from Xiangcheng to Baoshui Village after retiring early to help her friend run a homestay. The novel reflects modern rural life in China, which is a fresh and unexplored territory for the French publishing industry.
Chinese writer Ye Mi, author of the original novel "The Sun Also Rises," brought her novel "Never Get Old" to the festival. The novel, focusing on women's issue, received high praise in the French publishing field.
"When they choose novels, they will take into account different styles and different types. My book is about a woman pursuing her own happiness and having an independent spirit, which is different from others. That's why they choose this book," said Ye Mi, vice chairwoman of the Jiangsu Writers' Association.
French translator Rebecca Peyrelon expressed her admiration for Ye's book.
"It is a beautiful book with a strong visual sense, resembling a film script. The transitions between scenes are seamless. It is through the dialogues that we gain profound insights," said Peyrelon.
The Paris Book Festival was first held in 1981 and hosted by the French Publishers Association. As one of Europe's large annual public cultural events, the festival attracted more than 100,000 visitors in 2023. About 1,150 Chinese books are on display and sale at the three-day book festival.