BEIJING CELEBRATES AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ WEEK
Now in its second year, the Australian Writers’ festival is proving a success both culturally and business wise reports Sophie Loras.

In March, five of Australia’s top authors took part in China’s second Australian Writers’ Week. Mara Moustafine who grew up in China’s north-eastern city of Harbin, The Secret River author Kate Grenville, former diplomat Lucinda Holdforth, children’s author Jane Godwin and controversial Australian historian Henry Reynolds spoke to audiences in Beijing and Chengdu under the theme of “Tracking Histories.”

As well as speaking to members of the expatriate community the writers also lectured Chinese students on a broad range of topics exploring the diversity of cultures and traditions making up Australian identity today. Australian Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby, said the Australian Writers’ Week aimed to give the “unique and independent voice of Australian writers” exposure to current and potential future Chinese decision-makers and opinion leaders and raise the profile of Australian writers and their work in the growing Chinese literary market.

"There is an immensely talented community of Australian writers, all of whom have a unique, and often very Australian, perspective on the world we live in,” Dr Raby said.

Events held at Beijing’s Bookworm were sold weeks in advance and university events at Beiwai (Beijing Foreign Studies University), Minzu University and Xihua University in Chengdu averaged around 200 students each. Mr Raby said the Australian writers had been impressed by the level of engagement from the Chinese students.

"Students showed strong interest and willingness to engage with this year’s Writer’s Week themes of ‘tracking histories’ and the notions of identity and multiculturalism,” said Mr Raby.

"From their questions, there was a strong focus in the issues of indigenous history dealt with by Kate Grenville and Henry Reynolds, and a desire to learn more about indigenous lives today and how young Australians relate to these issues.”

Mara Moustafine’s history in China’s northeastern city of Harbin also generated great interest from the students.

In conjunction with the literary festival, the Australian Embassy also hosted a publishers’ forum which brought together several high profile Australian publishers with key Chinese publishing personnel.

"The Publishing Forum really exceeded our expectations this year both in numbers and outcomes,” said Mr Raby.

The two-day event invited VIP Chinese guests from Beijing and other regional centres from across China – with particularly large publishing groups coming from Sichuan, Anhui and Jiangxi. High level Chinese figures gave an overview of the Chinese publishing industry while representatives from Copyright Agency Limited, Text, Random House and Penguin gave their Chinese counterparts a rundown of the Australia industry. Harold Weldon, whose publishing business, Weldon Global Consulting, has been establishing relationships in China for almost 20 years, led a discussion on the practical questions of translation, distribution and international co-operation.

The second day included a novel “speed dating” exercise in which Chinese and Australian publishers could exchange ideas and contacts. “I feel that it was a very successful event which both sides really gained from, and left with many ideas for future projects,” said Mr Raby.