96-year-old writer Xu Guangyao donated the lifetime copyright of "Plains Fire"

"Xu Guangyao's name is a striking presence in anti-war literature." Tie Ning, chairman of the China Writers Association, said so. Recently, the "Symposium on the Publication of Xu Guangyao's "Plain Fire" and "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" Collection Edition" was held at the People's Literature Publishing House. Mr. Xu Guangyao, 96 years old, recorded a video for the meeting and said that he would hand over the lifetime copyright of "Plain Fire" to the Humanities Society.

Born in 1925 in Xiong county, Hebei Province, Xu Guangyao joined the army at the age of 13 and joined the party in the same year, is a veteran who has experienced the War of Resistance Against Japan, the War of Liberation, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and is also a heavyweight writer in the contemporary literary world. He began publishing works in 1947, and wrote the novel "Plain Fire", the novella and the play of the same name, "Little Soldier Zhang Ga", and the essay collection "Last Night's West Wind Withered Bishu".

Xu Guangyao's "Plain Fire" created at the age of 34 is the first novel to reflect the War of Resistance Against Japan, which was officially published after the founding of New China and caused great repercussions, presenting readers with a group portrait of the military and civilians in Jizhong fighting bravely.

In addition, his "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" is even more popular in the north and south of the river - not only a treasure of Chinese children's literature, but also a classic of contemporary literature. "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" was first published in 1961, and a single edition was published the following year. After its release, the work has been deeply loved by a wide range of readers, and has so far the total circulation of a single book has exceeded 10 million copies, and together with the film of the same name, it has influenced and inspired generations.

For the People's Literature Publishing House, the book "Plain Fire" has another very special significance: it is the first book published after the establishment of the People's Literature Publishing House in March 1951. The person in charge of the Humanities Society told reporters that in the past 70 years, Mr. Xu Guangyao has also formed a deep friendship with the People's Literature Publishing House, and delivered a new edition of his other important work", "Little Soldier Zhang Ga", to the Humanities Society for publication.

To this end, the Humanities Society has specially launched the hardcover collector's editions of two works, "Plain Fire" and "Little Soldier Zhang Ga". Compared with the previous version, the two books not only added a number of texts such as Mr. Xu Guangyao's talk about creation, but also accompanied by many precious photos; the book "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" also invited the famous oil painter Mr. Xu Chunzhong to draw more than ten special illustrations.

Although Mr. Xu Guangyao, 96, was unable to attend, he recorded a video specifically for the meeting. He said in the video that "Plain Fire" is the first book published by the People's Literature Publishing House, which is his honor. In order to commemorate the special relationship between "Plain Fire" and the Humanities Society, he was willing to give the lifelong copyright of the book to the Humanities Society.

Article/Reporter Zhang Zhiyi