THE PUBLISHING OF YOUTH-LITERATURE IN CHINA by Lingyun Zhao B.A., The University of Xinyang Normal, 1996 M.A., The University of Guangxi Normal, 1999 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Children’s Literature) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) March 2014 © Lingyun Zhao, 2014 Abstract The publishing of youth-literature in China, which is defined as literature written by and for youths aged 14 to 20, emerged at the beginning of the twenty-first century and quickly became a large scale phenomenon. Over the last decade, it has continued to grow and expand. This study traces the publication of one particular book by drawing on the author’s first hand experience and, more importantly, reveals the inner mechanisms and external social and cultural elements that have shaped this trend in Chinese publishing through careful examination of the publishing histories of two leading youth writers. The author argues that several major elements worked together to make this phenonemon extraordinarily successful: state-owned and private publishers pursuing profit; rebellious or material-oriented youth writers pursuing success; and China’s first only-child generation craving for self-expression and entertainment. These elements were further enhanced by the flourishing of internet and youth popular culture in the new century. This study also reveals that the success of youth-literature publishing comes with consequences for the growth and welfare of Chinese youth. Not only does the pitfalls of commercialization work in publishing for children, but the result has much to do with the history of Chinese children’s literature and the roles that children play in it. By carefully examining controversies, scandals, and debates that have been common in the publishing phenomenon, the author also offers readers a glimpse of the Chinese publishing community and industry, as well as Chinese society during this transitional time. ii Preface This thesis is original, unpublished, independent work by the author, Lingyun Zhao. iii Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... ii Preface...................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. vii Dedication .............................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Definition of Youth-literature ......................................................................................1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................3 1.3 Personal Interest Statement .........................................................................................6 1.4 Research Questions .....................................................................................................7 1.5 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................8 1.6 Overview of Thesis Chapters ......................................................................................8 Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................................10 2.1 English Scholarship on Chinese Children’s Literature .............................................10 2.1.1 Historical Development ..................................................................................... 11 2.1.2 The Concept of Children in China ..................................................................... 15 2.1.3 Self, Family, and State ....................................................................................... 17 2.1.4 Chinese Publishing for Children ........................................................................ 18 2.2 The Chinese Publishing Industry and Book Market for Children .............................19 2.2.1 Overview of the Chinese Publishing Industry ................................................... 20 2.2.2 The Children’s Book Market in China............................................................... 22 2.2.3 Commercialization and Literary Production in China ....................................... 24 2.3 Publishing for Children in the West: Community and Professionals ........................26 Chapter 3: Research Methodology........................................................................................29 3.1 Rationale for Selection of Primary Research Subjects ..............................................29 3.2 Theoretical Framework ..............................................................................................30 3.2.1 Minders of Make-believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature by Leonard S. Marcus .................................................................. 31 iv 3.2.2 Picturing Canada: A History of Canadian Children’s Illustrated Books and Publishing by Gail Edwards and Judith Saltman ........................................................... 32 3.2.3 The Approach to My Personal Experience ........................................................ 33 3.2.4 The Approach to the Narratives of Two Youth Writers and Their Publishing Experiences .................................................................................................................... 34 3.3 My Writing Model .....................................................................................................35 Chapter 4: The Publishing of Gorgeous Guy: An Insider’s Story .........................................37 4.1 The World Affairs Press ............................................................................................37 4.2 Director Qin...............................................................................................................39 4.3 The “Dark Horse” Lai ...............................................................................................43 4.4 The Editorial Office ..................................................................................................45 4.5 The Publishing of Gorgeous Guy ..............................................................................48 4.6 Reunion .....................................................................................................................54 Chapter 5: Rebelling for Success: the Publishing of Han Han .............................................56 5.1 A High School Dropout .............................................................................................56 5.2 Han Han and the State-Owned Publishing Houses ...................................................61 5.3 Han Han and the Private Publishers ..........................................................................66 5.3.1 Han Han: From Youth Rebel to Young Public Intellectual ............................... 66 5.3.2 Lu Jinbo: A Hidden Player ................................................................................ 73 5.4 Down-Han Movement ...............................................................................................77 Chapter 6: Exploring Entertainment Value: the Publishing of Guo Jingming .........................81 6.1 A Small City Youth ....................................................................................................82 6.2 The Plagiarism Lawsuit over Never Flowers in Never Dream .................................86 6.2.1 A Lawsuit ........................................................................................................... 86 6.2.2 The Awakening of an Idol ................................................................................. 91 6.3 Guo Jingming after the Plagiarism Lawsuit ..............................................................95 6.3.1 The Writer Guo Jingming and His “Image-Improving” Publisher .................... 96 6.3.2 The Publisher Guo Jingming and His Empire of Youth-Literature Publishing . 99 6.4 Marching Toward the Entertainment World ............................................................102 Chapter 7: Conclusions and Discussion .................................................................................105 7.1 Youth-Literature Publishing as a Best-Seller Phenomenon ....................................105 v 7.2 Youth-Literature Publishing As a Cultural Phenomenon ........................................ 111 7.3 Youth-literature Publishing and Chinese Children’s Literature .............................. 113 7.4 Youth-Literature Publishing: Professionals and Community .................................. 116 7.5 Limitations of the Study and Further Research Recommendations ........................ 119 Works Cited............................................................................................................................121 vi Acknowledgements It took me three years to finish this thesis, with one year in Vancouver and