Mao Dun Literature Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1982) Winner
Gu Hua
グー・ホア
Gu Hua
Pen Names:
Gu Hua（Pen name used for publications. Real name is Luo Hongyu.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-06-20 （Jiahe County, Hunan, China）
- Nationality
- China
- Languages
- Chinese
- Residence History
- Hunan Province (birthplace) → Canada (residence since 1988)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 1962-
- Affiliations
- China Writers Association (Hunan branch), China Writers Association
- Memberships
- China Writers Association
- Influenced By
- Shen Congwen, Thomas Hardy (often compared to)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chenzhou Institute of Agricultural Technology | — | Agricultural Technology | — | 1959-1961 | China |
Chenzhou Institute of Agricultural Technology
Agricultural Technology
Period:
1959-1961
Country:
China
Admitted in 1959; later transferred to another agricultural institute.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Mao Dun Literature Prize | Furong Town (Furong zhen) | — | Mao Dun Literature Prize Committee | 受賞 |
Mao Dun Literature Prize
1982
Work:
Furong Town (Furong zhen)
Organization:
Mao Dun Literature Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Furong Town (Furong zhen)
1981 NovelSet in a small mountainous town in Hunan, the novel depicts society and daily life during the Cultural Revolution, exploring the clash between tradition and change, with a focus on rural life and women's fates.
Rural lifeImpact of the Cultural RevolutionTradition vs. changeSocial pressure and individual fate
Adaptations
- [Film] Hibiscus Town / 謝晋 (Xie Jin) (1986)
Translations
- A Small Town Called Hibiscus (English translation by G. Yang, 1983)
Chen Neu (Virgin Widows)
1985 Novel / NovellaDeals with traditional views on chastity and adultery, questioning social pressure and norms especially affecting women's position and sexuality.
Sex and chastityWomen's circumstancesCritique of social norms
Translations
- Virgin Widows (English translation by H. Goldblatt, 1997)
Bibliography
- 1981 Furong zhen (Furong Town)
- 1982 Paman Qingteng Oe Muwu (Pagoda Ridge and Other Stories)
- 1984 Collected Novellas of Gu Hua
- 1984 Sisters' Village (Jiejie Zhai)
- 1985 Selected Novels of Gu Hua
- 1985 Chen Neu (Virgin Widows)
- 2015 New poetry anthology
- 2016 Beijing Relics
Adaptations
- Film 'Hibiscus Town' (director: Xie Jin, 1986)
Translations of Works
- A Small Town Called Hibiscus (English translation by G. Yang, 1983)
- Virgin Widows (English translation by H. Goldblatt, 1997)
- Pagoda Ridge and Other Stories (English translation, 1986)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realist style with strong local colorNarrative focusing on characters' inner lives and daily existence
- Recurring Motifs
- Rural lifeCollision of traditional customsWomen's fatePower relations within communities
Legacy
With works focusing on rural life in Hunan, he occupies an important place in Chinese literature since the 1980s. His notable novel 'Furong Town' won the Mao Dun Literature Prize and was adapted to film, influencing both popular culture and scholarship.
Academic Societies
- China Writers Association
In Popular Culture
- Broad recognition and acclaim through the film 'Hibiscus Town'
Quotes
-
He has "risen to prominence in the last three years among some younger writers who seek to rediscover, if not necessarily to affirm, China's traditional life and values."
Source: The New York Times (1986) (1986)
Trivia
- Won the inaugural Mao Dun Literature Prize in 1982 for 'Furong Town'.
- Emigrated to Canada in 1988.
- 'Furong Town' reportedly sold over 850,000 copies after the prize.