20 Monday, April 23, 2018 LIFE DAILY EDITION Survey shows new What I saw in Paris is almost what Balzac and Victor Hugo saw. reading choices Whereas, Chinese writers like the readers By YANG YANG to see and notice the changes in the [email protected]

landscape, as well as in society.” Reading has started to become a lifestyle choice for Liu Zhenyun, Chinese writer many Chinese, says Liu Shu, vice­president of Kindle Con­ tent at Amazon China, when she released the 2018 Amazon China Reading Report on Wednesday. Based on a survey of 14,000 respondents and the compa­ ny’s big data, the report found that most of those surveyed read every day, and nearly half had read more than 10 books a Liu Shu, vice president of year. Kindle Content at Amazon LIFE AND TIMES OF It also found that 80 percent China. PROVIDED TO of the respondents read more than half an hour per day. This is the fifth consecutive up in the survey is that Chi­ year that Amazon China has nese people are willing to pay A MAGICAL REALIST released its reading reports. for reading material, amid And although the 2017 increased awareness of intel­ report — where about 56 per­ lectual property issues. And cent of the 14,000 people sur­ 80 percent of people surveyed veyed read more than 10 paid for e­reading material in Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun has been honored with France’s Knight of the Order books a year — seems better the last year. than the 2018 one, Liu says The survey also shows that of Arts and Letters for his contribution to world literature. Mei Jia reports. this is because those surveyed those born after 1990 tend to in the latest report comprise read more on electronic devi­ more of those born after 1980, ces. And more than 80 percent pon receiving the Liu’s works in 1992. who in general read less than of those born after 1990 often award of Knight of Liu thanked her for bring­ older generations. pay for e­reading material, the Order of Arts ing his characters into the The proportion of people especially e­books. and Letters on international domain, which who read more than 10 books The report also reflects the UApril 13 at the Institut Fran­ had allowed him to travel and a year varied by age group, revival of physical bookstores cais in , Liu Zhenyun meet foreign readers at liter­ with the figures for those born in recent years. says what he did was just sit ary events around the world. in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s Among those surveyed, beside “small potatoes”, the His books have often been being 62 percent, 57 and 56, about 86 percent had been to unimportant people he lis­ hailed for their sense of “mag­ respectively. physical bookstores, with tened to in times of need, and ical realism”, something that Similarly the figures were nearly half of them saying wrote about them because Liu believes happens in 45, 47 and 53 percent, respec­ they made special efforts to nobody else would listen to everyday life. tively for those born in the visit these bookstores. their stories. “It’s truly tragic, when you 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Another finding in the He always uses the meta­ mean to write a tragedy, and Those born before 1980 gen­ report is that a good reading phor that it is not him who others choose to read it as a erally spent more time read­ environment can promote writes and creates his charac­ comedy,” Liu says. ing every day. reading, and that comforta­ ters. He just listens to them as Liu compares this to Li The report also shows that ble electronic reading devices they talked to him in their Xuelian, the protagonist in I more Chinese read both and better reading services own words. Did Not Kill My Husband, e­books and printed books, can also help. “People say that my writing who spent 20 years trying with 55 percent of those sur­ Referring to a reading is full of humor. But I say I prove her innocence, and veyed falling in this category. atmosphere, Chinese writer might be the least humorous ends up discussing her plight Nineteen percent of those Jiang Fangzhou , born in 1989, writer in China — it’s just with a cow, the only living surveyed read mainly on elec­ says that she is easily distract­ because my characters live in being that believes her. tronic devices, compared with ed, and so usually needs to this humorous world,” Liu Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun (right, pictured on top) poses with French ambassador to China “Writers are just cows sit­ 12 percent who wanted only turn her smartphone to flight says. Jean­Maurice Ripert after receiving a medal of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in Beijing on ting there with Li Xuelian,” printed material. mode, or put it aside in a dif­ “I just listened. And by April 13. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Liu says. Separately, although Ama­ ferent room. translating, the foreign read­ Xudong Zhang, professor zon Audible has been growing Xue Zhaofeng, an econo­ ers listened to them. And by of Comparative Literature rapidly in North America in mist from Peking University, listening, what comes out is a Liu at a ceremony in the capi­ million copies; and I Did Not that the observations of many and East Asian Studies at the last three years, Amazon says that people need better strength to do things, to tal’s French cultural center. Kill My Husband, has also French writers remain New York University, says one China has yet to offer the ser­ reading environments. change things,” he added. “We want to honor your tal­ been widely read around the unchanged. task of contemporary Chinese vice on the Chinese mainland. “The libraries and class­ Liu, born in 1958 in Yanjin ented works, your contribu­ world. “What I saw in Paris is literature is to combine the However, the survey shows rooms are well designed, but county in Henan province, tion to world literature, and “Your view of human almost what Balzac and Vic­ inner force of the Chinese lan­ that in the last year, about 12 the furniture is not good graduated from Peking Uni­ continued efforts in promot­ nature is full of sarcasm, ten­ tor Hugo saw. Whereas, Chi­ guage with the innate energy percent of those surveyed not enough,” he says. versity’s Department of Chi­ ing cultural exchanges derness and reflection,” Rip­ nese writers like the readers of contemporary Chinese only read e­books and printed “I think a good reading nese Language and between France and China,” ert says. to see and notice the changes everyday life. books, but accessed audio atmosphere should be a good Literature. Typical of estab­ Ripert says. Acknowledging his love for in the landscape, as well as in “Liu Zhenyun’s Someone to books. A small number — 0.24 place to sleep, a good place to lished Chinese writers born in The ambassador gave a and the influence of French society,” he says. Talk to You is an exceptional percent — of people surveyed buy things and eat, so that you the 1950s, his works have brief history of Liu’s major literature, art and philosophy At the ceremony, Liu success in terms of this task, only accessed audio books, can stay there comfortably,” he been frequently adapted into works, saying Liu had pub­ on Liu’s work, Ripert says that showed his gratitude to his or rather, the attempt to put which means there is huge says. films, with many of them lished six books in French and the Sino­French friendship publishers and translators, into language an explanation room for this genre to grow, Besides, Xue says he has directed by Feng Xiaogang. had titles translated into 20 had been built on respect for especially Genevieve Imbot­ of the inherent logic of life the survey suggests. stopped posting messages on The French ambassador to other languages. each other’s history, culture Bichet, with whom he has itself,” Zhang says. “We are watching what the his microblog or on other China, Jean­Maurice Ripert, Someone To Talk To, a Mao and language. shared a friendship that has Chinese want and will offer social medium platforms, so presented the medal and Dun Literature Prize­winning Liu says that one of the fea­ lasted more than 20 years. Contact the writer at the service if needed,” says Liu. that he can concentrate more accompanying certificate to novel, has sold more than 2.2 tures of French literature is Imbot­Bichet first discovered [email protected] Another trend that showed on reading.

system, whereby 34 foreign films are allowed for general hopes to lean on to bolster ties screening on the mainland each year on a revenue­sharing basis. By SATARUPA Chinese population to some The foreign films get up to 25 BHATTACHARJYA more Indian movies,” Kumar percent of box­office earnings. [email protected] said at the session that was Although Hollywood contin­ briefly open to media. ues to bag the maximum num­ India has sought more space The India­proposed cultural ber under this system, in China’s entertainment committee could include Bollywood might challenge the industry, in a sign of growing entertainment, Kumar added. order if its appeal in China confidence in its cinematic So far, there has been no grows. exports to the country. response on the subject from But there is no indication of Visiting Indian officials China. any change on the quota front recently proposed the creation The chairman of China’s from the government. of two additional “working National Development and “Bollywood can also enter groups”, one on culture and the Reform Commission, He the Chinese market through other on pharmaceuticals, Lifeng, and other officials were the flat­fee structure,” Tan under an existing bilateral present at the economic dia­ Posters of Indian films Medium (left), the latest Bollywood feature in China, and Secret Superstar, which made some 746 million Zheng, deputy editorial direct­ mechanism that covers infra­ logue. yuan in the country. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY or of Dian Ying Yi Shu, a film structure, technology, energy, Kumar cited the success in magazine in Beijing, says of resource conservation and pol­ China of the Hindi film Dangal the other option for foreign icy coordination. during his address. , the actor who year — an estimated 1 billion many times more than its of convincing options at home films in China, where movie In his opening remarks at The biopic of an Indian plays the aging wrestler, has yuan ($159 million) by two, India income, followed by across genres. rights in the country are first the fifth meeting of the India­ wrestler who trains his daugh­ become the face of Bollywood with the third still screening at 285.4 million yuan for the film A common description of bought by Chinese studios. China Strategic Economic Dia­ ters to become world­class ath­ in China. On China’s ­ more than 193 million yuan — . The latter the trend on Chinese social The coming weeks are logue in Beijing on April 14, letes in a conservative, small­ like , Khan has a fol­ seems to have encouraged does not star Aamir Khan, nor media is: Bollywood sheds expected to witness more offi­ Rajiv Kumar, the deputy chair­ town setting where women are lowing of more than 1 million, India’s approach to the softer does , the latest light on Indian realities but in cial engagements between man of India’s main economic mostly engaged in household and he now endorses phones aspect of its relations with Chi­ Bollywood feature to reach an entertaining way. India and China, including a planning body, Niti Aayog, activities, found favor with Chi­ made by the Guangdong­based na. China. Some trade analysts in Chi­ visit by Indian Prime Minister called for the liberalization of nese film critics and the box company BBK Electronics. Secret Superstar, which Hindi films have started to na say the diversity of cinema Narendra Modi to Qingdao in China’s entertainment sector. office alike. It was released in But the commercial run of Khan co­produced, made resonate with Chinese movie­ signals a potential upward June, for the Coop­ “We would like to expose the China in 2017. three other Hindi films this around 746 million yuan, goers partly owing to the lack revision of the country’s quota eration Organisation summit.