World Literary Awards

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Chen Guidi

Chen Guidi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1942-11-01 （Huaiyuan County, Anhui, China）
Nationality
China
Languages
Chinese

Career

Occupations
Writer, Investigative journalist

Awards

Lettre Ulysses Award
2004
Work: A Survey of the Chinese Peasants / Will the Boat Sink the Water
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

A Survey of the Chinese Peasants / Will the Boat Sink the Water

2004 Investigative journalism / Non-fiction

A reportage co-written by Chen Guidi and his wife Wu Chuntao documenting rural poverty, land disputes, local corruption and peasant displacement in China. Published in January 2004 and banned by authorities in March 2004. Internationally recognized as investigative reportage; the English edition was published under titles including 'Will the Boat Sink the Water'.

Rural povertyLand rightsLocal government corruptionDisplacement
Translations
  • Will the Boat Sink the Water

Bibliography

  • A Survey of the Chinese Peasants / Will the Boat Sink the Water (2004)

Translations of Works

  • English translation: Will the Boat Sink the Water

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Investigative reportage style, fact-focused proseUse of on-the-ground testimonies
Recurring Motifs
Poverty and oppressionConflict between power and populace

Legacy

Brought wide attention to rural issues and local power abuses in China and sparked debate about censorship and publishing controls. Recognized internationally as a work of investigative reportage; the prize drew global attention while the book was banned domestically.

Trivia

  • The co-authored book 'A Survey of the Chinese Peasants' was published in 2004 and subsequently banned in China.
  • The book won the Lettre Ulysses Award in 2004.
  • The English edition has been published under titles including 'Will the Boat Sink the Water'.