City Culture Research and Study Concludes Successfully, Civilizational Exchange Boosts Chinese Literature's Global Reach
Jul 23, 2025
On the afternoon of July 22, the city culture research and study activities of the 7th International Conference on Sinologists and Literary Translation concluded successfully at the Nanjing World Capital of Literature's living room. The event attracted numerous sinologists from countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and Uruguay, as well as Chinese writers and many young literature enthusiasts. Through various formats, including the "2025 Literary Diversity and Sustainable Urban Development" themed salon, the "Encountering Literature in Nanjing": 2025 World Capital of Literature Residency Writers' Reading and Sharing Session, and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) experiences, the activities further deepened civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, and effectively promoted the international dissemination of Chinese literature.
During the salon on literary diversity and sustainable urban development, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as literature, innovation, diversity, and sustainable urban development. At the beginning of the event, a short video reflecting the five-year journey of Nanjing as a "City of Literature" was played, vividly showcasing the city's achievements in literary heritage and international exchanges.
In the guest sharing session, Bi Feiyu, a contemporary Chinese writer and chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Writers' Association, expressed his deep affection for Nanjing by sharing his personal stories with the city. He noted that Nanjing's richness, openness, and softness have shaped the lives of writers residing there in unique ways. Nicky Harman, a British translator, pointed out that one of the key responsibilities of translators is to introduce Chinese literary works, especially contemporary poetry, to English-speaking readers.
Subsequently, Dr. Chris Wang, Executive Director of the Scottish Asian Arts Foundation and Chairman of the Edinburgh Asian Arts Festival, and Li Qiang, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Youth," respectively introduced the Edinburgh Arts Festival and the Asian Capital of Literature Children's Reading Week project, as well as the International Dissemination Plan for Youth Three-Line Poetry. These initiatives aim to engage Asian youth in cultural exchanges and reading, inspire low-threshold creative expression, and resonate with the youth's "cultural co-creation" trend, blending "meme culture" with contemporary echoes.
During the keynote speech segment, Professor Zhang Guangmang from the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Nanjing University delivered a speech titled "New Era Literature and the New Trend of Writing Traditional Culture." He called on writers of the new era to reconstruct historical scenes of traditional culture and explore the intrinsic connections between tradition and contemporary life, thereby endowing modern life with more possibilities, definitions, and creativity. Ivan Wadeson, the "City of Literature" liaison from Manchester, UK, gave a keynote speech titled "Manchester: a UNESCO City of Literature." He detailed Manchester's measures to support literature and creative communities, and noted that both Manchester and Nanjing, as "Cities of Literature," share similarities in building "lifelong learning cities" and are committed to using the power of literature to drive comprehensive urban development.
In the themed discussion session, moderated by He Tongbin, a young literary critic and deputy editor-in-chief of the "Yangtze River Literary Review," participants interacted on the theme of "Nanjing Literature in a Global Context." Agustin Alepuz Morales, a sinologist and Spanish translator, pointed out that poetry, as a special genre, faces difficulties in translation due to both linguistic constraints and cultural differences. For example, he mentioned that translating place names from Nanjing, which carry regional and profound cultural connotations, requires a deeper understanding of the local cultural background to accurately convey the intended artistic conception. Katherine Popperwell, a British expert in the creative industries, shared her views on "Creativity and Urban Literature and Image Building," emphasizing the need for local, national, and governmental organizations to build a diverse, inclusive, and open creative ecosystem. Zhu Jing, an associate professor at the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Nanjing Normal University, stressed the importance of presenting a vibrant and globally recognizable China while respecting the characteristics of traditional culture, based on her own research experiences.
Young people are the driving force behind the inheritance and innovation of literature, bringing fresh vitality to the literary tradition with their passionate life experiences, unique perspectives, and pioneering expressions. The discussion atmosphere was lively, and young writers received valuable, targeted guidance, benefiting greatly. Luo Yiren, a sinologist, said in an on-site interview, "Today's event brought together young Chinese writers, sinologists and translators from around the world, as well as many young literature enthusiasts. Such an event is extremely meaningful and a rare opportunity for exchange." Zhao Siyu, a young literature enthusiast, said that the close contact with international literary masters had given her a more tangible feeling of Chinese culture "going global," broadened her horizons, and greatly enhanced her cultural confidence.
After the salon, the "Encountering Literature in Nanjing": 2025 World Capital of Literature Residency Writers' Reading and Sharing Session began. Six residency writers from Uruguay, the UK, Germany, Portugal, Pakistan, and Latvia took turns to share their creative inspiration and literary thoughts in Nanjing. Iosif Havilio from Uruguay told the story of his hometown, Montevideo, and recited a poem by a female writer from his homeland for the guests. Paulo Santos from Portugal reminisced about his writing origins, saying that his initial motivation for writing was to make children listen to him. Now, his writing mainly involves letters and poems for children, as well as his travel life. Naima Rashid from Pakistan said that whether she is a translator or a poet, she fully devotes herself to writing. She never sees herself as different or separated but as a whole. After the reading and sharing session, Ding Jie, vice chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Writers' Association, presented the "Friend of Nanjing Literature" certificates to the guests to recognize their contributions to the international dissemination of literature. At the end of the session, the audience actively asked questions and engaged in热烈交流。
It is reported that the Nanjing International Writers' Residency Program was officially launched in 2019 and has been held for six sessions so far. Every year, four to six international writers are selected to spend about a month deeply immersed in Nanjing's daily life, researching the city's literary resources and experiencing its rich cultural heritage and vibrant literary atmosphere, while engaging in creative exchanges. By 2024, more than 300 international writers from world "Cities of Literature" such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Spain, South Korea, and Iceland had applied to participate in the residency program, with 36 of them having come to Nanjing and left behind excellent works. In 2025, 30 outstanding works from the global residency writers will be selected from over 90 submissions to be published in the collection "Encountering Literature in Nanjing: Works by Nanjing World Capital of Literature Residency Writers."
In addition, a special intangible cultural heritage (ICH) experience session was set up at the event, inviting Yu Dongbo, a heritage inheritor of ancient Chinese flute playing, to perform a folk version of "Water Melody Ode to Jinling." The melodious music, accompanied by the Jinling scroll painting, added a touch of classical charm to the venue.
The atmosphere of the event was enhanced by the presence of ICH skills such as "Nanjing Paper-cutting," "Nanjing Yunjin Brocade," and "Qinhuai Lanterns." In 2009, Nanjing Paper-cutting and Nanjing Yunjin Brocade were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; in 2007, Qinhuai Lanterns were included in the first batch of provincial-level ICH list in Jiangsu Province. These ICH skills, inscribed on the UNESCO list, left foreign guests in awe. Ms. Izumi Kamekura, a sinologist, said that she particularly enjoyed the ICH performance segment, describing it as a unique and distinctive form of cultural expression.
This event, using literature as a bond, gathered translators, writers, and young people from various countries to explore the path of literary diversity and sustainable urban development together, highlighting the open-mindedness of the "City of Literature." Nanjing will continue to enhance the influence of residency programs and dialogues between literary capitals, creating a regular international exchange platform to promote in-depth cooperation between Chinese literature and global creative cities, and to inject lasting literary vitality into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.