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Li Guowen

リー・グオウェン

Li Guowen

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1930-08-24 （Shanghai, Republic of China）
Died
2022-11-24 （Beijing, China） age 92
Nationality
China
Languages
Chinese
Residence History
Shanghai → Beijing → North Korea (served during Korean War)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer, Editor
Active Years
1976-2022
Affiliations
China Writers Association, China Railway Song and Dance Troupe, China Railway Federation of Trade Union (editorial work)
Memberships
China Writers Association, Chinese Communist Party

Education

Nanjing Academy of Drama
Period: 1947-1949
Year of Graduation: 1949
Country: China
Accepted 1947, graduated 1949
North China University of Technology
Period: 1949-1950
Country: China
Entered after 1949; graduation year not clearly documented

Awards

Mao Dun Literature Prize (1st)
1982
Work: Spring in Winter
Organization: Mao Dun Literature Prize Committee
Result: Winner
National Excellent Short Story Award (3rd)
Work: Lunar Eclipse
Organization: National literary organization
Result: Winner
National Excellent Short Story Award (4th)
Work: History of the Dangerous Building
Organization: National literary organization
Result: Winner
Lu Xun Literary Prize (2nd)
Work: Everyday Language
Organization: Lu Xun Literary Prize Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Spring in Winter

1982 Novel

A novel portraying social change and individual lives, thematically centered on hope and humanity during difficult times. One of the author's major works and winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

Hope and renewalSocial changeHuman drama
Translations
  • SPRING IN WINTER: Volume 1
  • SPRING IN WINTER: Volume 2

Re-election

1957 Short story

A short story published in People's Literature in 1957. It depicts interpersonal relations and the dynamics surrounding an election within the political context.

Power and the individualSocial pressure

Lunar Eclipse

Short story

A short story that uses the symbolism of the moon to explore inner life and human relationships (known as an award-winning piece).

SymbolismInterpersonal relationships

History of the Dangerous Building

Short story

A short story set around a dangerous building. Through the place and its inhabitants, it depicts aspects of society.

Urban lifeVulnerability

The Art of Swearing

Prose/Essay

An essayistic work discussing language use and the subtleties of everyday speech.

Language observationHumor

Everyday Language

Prose/Essays

A prose collection themed on everyday language, showing interest in regional speech and colloquialism.

Colloquial expressionRegional culture

Bibliography

  • Spring in Winter
  • Re-election
  • Lunar Eclipse
  • History of the Dangerous Building
  • The Art of Swearing
  • Everyday Language

Translations of Works

  • SPRING IN WINTER: Volume 1 (English translation)
  • SPRING IN WINTER: Volume 2 (English translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
RealistCharacter-drivenNarration with humor and irony
Recurring Motifs
War and military experienceRailways and workers' livesEveryday language and regionalism

Legacy

Li Guowen was an important figure in modern Chinese literature, winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize for Spring in Winter. Known for works focusing on railways and workers and for attention to everyday language, he influenced subsequent generations.

Trivia

  • Entered Nanjing Academy of Drama in 1947 and moved to Beijing after graduating in 1949.
  • Served in the People's Liberation Army during the Korean War as a writer in the Naval Song and Dance Troupe.
  • Labeled a rightist after publishing 'Re-election' in 1957 and was sent to work at a construction plant.
  • Reported to have received a New Century Prose Writer Award in 2004.
  • Died in Beijing on November 24, 2022, reportedly aged 92.