The book launch of the "Nordic Literature Translation Series" was held at the Danish Cultural Centre

On January 19, the "Nordic Literature Translation Series" book launch co-sponsored by the Danish Cultural Center and the Danish Research Center of Beijing Foreign Chinese University was held at the Danish Cultural Center in Beijing.

At the press conference, Eric Messerschmidt, director of the Danish Cultural Center, said in his speech that the Nordic countries are increasingly closely linked to China, cultural activities are frequent, and the unique charm of Nordic literature has attracted more and more attention.

Wang Qinren, editor-in-chief of China Radio International Publishing House, introduced four Nordic literary classics from the book launch, including the novel "Chronic Innocence" by Danish writer Klaus Rifbiye translated by Wang Yuchen and Yu Qi, the novel "About the Simple Life of the Same Man" translated by Xi Jingchen, the novel "The Imagination of the Simple Life of the Same Man" translated by Xi Jingchen, the novel "Mystery" by Nobel Prize winner and Norwegian writer Knut Hamson, translated by Wang Mengda, and the novel "Mystery" by Swedish writer Joanna Seder translated by Wang Mengda. The stars twinkle on the roof."

According to Wang Qinren, these four new books and the icelandic literary classic "The Time of the Night", which has been released earlier, are the first Chinese translations of the "Nordic Literature Translation Series", a large-scale series of foreign literature series curated by China International Broadcasting Press. The Nordic Literature Translation Series plans to publish 50 to 80 contemporary works of literature from the five Nordic countries, mainly novels, with a small selection of representative short stories, poems and plays. The editor-in-chief of the series is Professor Shi Qin'e, an expert in Nordic literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and all works are directly translated from the original text, so that readers can read the original Nordic literature.

Xu Xin, deputy editor of the "Nordic Literature Translation Series" and an expert in Swedish language and literature in Beiwai, elaborated on the pioneering planning ideas and implementation process of the "Nordic Literature Translation Series" in his speech, saying that the first batch of books could be launched in just one year, which was inseparable from the efforts of all parties, and expressed gratitude to the strong support of the Nordic embassies in China and the cultural and artistic foundations, the translators and the editors of the publishing houses and other staff for their hard work.

Subsequently, Wang Yuchen, translator of "Chronic Innocence" and director of the Danish Research Center of Beiwai, focused on the two new Danish books at the press conference, talking about the challenges encountered by translators in the translation process and their unique insights on translation. In addition, the danish contemporary writer Heller Heller recorded a congratulatory video specifically for the book launch.

Cultural officials from the Nordic Embassy, literary circles and representatives of publishing houses, as well as teachers and students from various universities in Beijing, attended the press conference. It is reported that in 2019, the "Nordic Literature Translation Series" plans to publish the second series of 6 to 10 titles. The four books in this new book launch have all been sold on JD.com, Dangdang, China Book Network and other websites. (Editor, Cultural Supplement Department)