If there is a magazine that can take people back to the old times for a second, it must be it

↑Reader magazine in a bookstore in Lanzhou. Photo by our reporter Dorey

If there's a magazine that can take people back to the old days for a second, it's The Reader.

40 years ago, in a small house of less than 6 square meters in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, the only two "science men" in the editorial department probably did not expect that the magazine they founded would become a warm lamp for thousands of Chinese to light up their hearts in a leisurely time.

Two-person editorial office in the "book famine" era

In April 1981, a magazine called Reader's Digest (later renamed Reader) quietly came out. On the red cover, the girl who did not apply powder looked up sideways, and her eyes were full of longing.

Longing is the background sound of that era.

The Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the starting point of China's reform and opening up. People's long-suppressed spirits are stretched, they are eager for knowledge, they are pursuing freedom, and they are even more looking forward to the spring breeze of reform to awaken a vigorous spring.

In the autumn of 1980, after keenly smelling the opportunity of reform and opening up in the publishing industry, Cao Keji, editor-in-chief of the Gansu People's Publishing House, approached hu Yaquan, the editor, and asked him to run the magazine.

"Do what you want, think for yourself; man, find it yourself." Cao Keji, who was born as a newspaperman and was called "Lao Cao" by young people, said.

Hu Yaquan found Zheng Yuanxu, who had a similar experience to his own. Both studied science, the former graduating from Lanzhou University with a degree in geography and the latter from the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University. After graduation, both were assigned to work out on farms in the Gobi Desert in western Gansu. Later, they came to the Gansu People's Publishing House.

Bookstores, book stalls, libraries... In order to determine the idea of running a journal, the two ran through the place where there were books. They found that people at that time were hungry for knowledge, but the "book famine" was serious. People who could not satisfy their thirst for knowledge were attracted by the smoky miasma of "stall literature".

"Considering the lack of local authors in Gansu and other factors, we decided to create a comprehensive digest magazine with high taste and asked readers to recommend manuscripts. Rely on the reader, give back to the reader. Hu Yaquan recalled.

The editorial office of the two men "opened". The 16-character purpose of "absorbing Chinese and foreign countries, gathering essences, enlightening ideas, and broadening horizons" was determined. The two scoured everywhere for articles, and Hu Yaquan also served as a U.S. editor.

The title inscription comes from Mr. Zhao Puchu. He ripped off a small note from the elementary school student's homework book and wrote a horizontal and vertical version of Reader's Digest, which is still used in Reader today. The girl on the cover is actress Na Ren Hua, but her name is not indicated. "At that time, I chose this photo because I felt that there was no fat powder, no pretentiousness, both solemn and energetic." Hu Yaquan said.

The first issue of the magazine, the new wind came to the face. There's the serious "Balzac Who Studies Handwriting", there is the warm "The Language of Love", "Forgive Me, Mom!" Interesting "Plants Also Have Feelings", "Lemming Collective Suicide", as well as "The Man Who Called the Flying Saucer", "The Boy and Girl Who Knew Early" and other explorations of the "imprint of the times".

In April 1981, the inaugural issue of Reader's Digest was published, with a total of 30,000 copies printed.

At first, sales were not smooth, and after Xinhua Bookstore ordered some of them, there were more than 10,000 copies left. "We distributed the magazine to our colleagues at the publisher. In the evening, the editors rode bicycles and carried books to sell in places such as Nanguan Cross in Lanzhou. Hu Yaquan said.

Soon, this novel, informative and informative magazine gained market recognition. At the end of 1981, Reader's Digest had a monthly circulation of 90,000 copies; in 1984, the number of prints exceeded 1 million copies.

Unexpected, but also reasonable. Hu Yaquan said that in addition to high quality, another reason for success is to take the "mass line." "In today's terms, it's about interacting with the reader. We welcome submissions from our readers and are equal friends with our readers. ”

When the journal was opened, letters from readers poured in. The editorial department can receive up to 9 sacks of letters a day, some recommending articles, some writing after reading, and some exploring the direction of running a journal...

A letter from a reader of that year read: "Reading you is a kind of enjoyment, a kind of picking, chewing carefully, and tasting with heart." Unconsciously, your ink fragrance has dispelled my tiredness and troubles. It can be said that if there are several books and periodicals on the table, I will choose one of the first to read" the Reader. ”

"Reform and opening up have created The Reader. "The Reader" represents this generation, this period of history in a greatly changed society, with a certain chronicle characteristic. Hu Yaquan said.

Reading memories of gilded years

Years later, when hundreds of people turn off the lights in the lecture halls and immerse themselves in darkness, Huang Qian gently turns on a warm yellow "little orange lamp" to recite "Reader" for students, he often remembers the reading time that accompanied "Reader" for 40 years.

Huang Qian is a retired university teacher from Jiangxi. 40 years ago, in his early 20s and fresh out of college, he first met Reader's Digest, and has hardly bought it since then. He even felt that the subscription was "not very feeling" and still insisted on going to the newsstand to buy it. "Now I go to the newsstand every half a month, like a regular date with a friend, and I have become an old acquaintance with the newsstand owner."

Huang Qian has been the dean of the Faculty of Letters and the editor-in-chief of the journal, but he has such a long affection for The Reader. In the eyes of many people, such a hobby is too "pediatric". But he said, "I am the one who was shaped by The Reader." ”

In his view, society not only needs academic discourse, but also spreads "healthy common sense". "The preciousness of "Reader" lies in persistence, insisting on recommending healthy, positive and warm articles to the people of the whole country, full of humanistic care. The choice of articles is different, but the feelings have not changed. ”

"If you think of The Reader as a person, she must be someone who looks at you with love and a smile. Don't you like such people? Do you like a person who is full of anger? Apathy is the cancer of society. Huang Qian said.

In 2011, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of Reader, he opened a public selection course at the school, "Appreciation of American Literature", which was the only teaching material. The "little orange lamp" lit up the darkness, and the noise outside seemed to stop at once, and Huang Qian and his classmates recited and appreciated, "returning to the state that a reader should be."

This "second-selected" public election course is often full, and even citizens drive more than ten kilometers to observe. "A classmate wrote me a long letter saying that this class was the best memory of my college years." Huang Qian said.

After retiring in 2016, Huang Qian took this course to schools, factories, military camps, and rural areas, and held 75 "Reader" sharing sessions in 13 cities, including Nanchang and Shenzhen. "Only with the infiltration of culture can we have the atmosphere of an open and inclusive country, and can we truly have cultural self-confidence."

Youth, companionship, warmth, this is also Zong Xiaolong's "Reader" memory. For more than 30 years, watching The Reader has been a part of her life. "The Reader gave me a broad perspective on the world as a teenager. Many things were buried deeply like seeds, and it slowly sprouted, branched out, and still nourished me today. ”

Zong Xiaolong said: In the 1980s, there was a single channel of information and a one-sided understanding of foreign countries. Reader's Digest has published a lot of foreign articles, which is refreshing. "A Bowl of Clear Soup Soba Noodles tells a story that takes place in Japan, and it feels very warm after watching it. Although there are differences in national borders, human nature is interconnected. ”

At first, her father subscribed to "Reader" for Zong Xiaolong to let her read more, but she saw another way of getting along with parent-child relationship. "There is a lack of intimate discourse between our generation and our parents. At that time, watching "Reader", I found that foreigners often say 'I love you', which makes people a little yearning. Later, when I had a child, I tried to communicate with the child in this way. ”

To this day, for Zong Xiaolong, "Reader" still has a "magical ability": just take out a copy, you can immerse yourself in reading, let people sweep away the haze, quiet down. Whenever friends from other places come to Lanzhou, she will take her friends to the Reader's Avenue on the Banks of the Yellow River and tell them, "The Reader is here."

For the younger generation, Reader is what exam samples look like.

Zhao Zewei was born in 1999. In junior high school, her Chinese teacher was an "avid Reader enthusiast." "Every time I came to reading class and composition class, the teacher came to the class with a heavy plastic bag, which contained all the Readers. The initiative in the classroom is also given to the students, and everyone reads and discusses together. ”

Excerpting American texts, learning to write, and falling in love with reading, the influence of "Reader" is reflected in Zhao Zewei. Later, she was admitted to Northwest Normal University and studied in the department of Chinese.

This year, she interned at Reader to try to use new media to make this 40-year-old magazine more popular with young people.

"When my classmates know that I interned at Reader, they would say, Wow, you're in Reader!" Zhao Zewei said.

The Changing Reader

For a time, The Reader was narrowed down to "chicken soup for the soul." The change in the way of media has also made the road to print magazines difficult. This month's circulation has exceeded 10 million copies of the "Chinese Mind Reader", is it okay?

In 2006, on the basis of Gansu People's Publishing House, Reader Publishing Group was established. In 2015, "Reader Media" went public and was called "the first share of domestic periodicals". The road to transformation has not been smooth, with Reader's monthly circulation falling from its peak in 2006 to 4.87 million copies in 2018.

Liu Yongsheng, secretary of the party committee and chairman of the board of directors of the Readers Publishing Group, said that "Readers" was born in the context of reform and opening up, when books and periodicals were "luxury goods", only a small number of people can see, and providing high-quality content can be successful. Today, all kinds of information are abundant, and people can read books as long as they are willing to read.

"It's progress, it's also a difficult point. The key to solving the problem lies in not sticking to the past and developing with the times. While doing a good job in brand maintenance, do a good job in brand development. Liu Yongsheng said.

"For 40 years, Reader has been innovative. What remains unchanged is the observation of society and the concern for people. She is kind to beauty and gives people the spiritual strength of healthy sunshine. Wang Yi, vice president of Reader magazine, said.

In the early 1980s, when Chinese still pursued the "four generations together" family, Reader introduced the concept of "nuclear family". In the 1990s, environmental protection and quality education were heavily discussed. After the 21st century, Reader has practiced public welfare, screening and treating amblyopia children in poor areas, benefiting thousands of people.

To the readers of Reader, the magazine is like an old friend, a cover that can be recognized at a glance on the newsstand, a unique layout and illustration, and a strong warmth flowing between the lines.

People were also surprised to learn that Reader was not just a magazine, with numerous "hidden skills" being developed.

The Readers' Bookstore on the Bund in Shanghai, the exquisite decorative walls of the past publications, the faint "Dunhuang Grottoes" book corridor, and the lingering aroma of coffee, together with the people who read quietly, have become the most chic scenery on the lively streets. The unique temperament has also made it a filming location for popular dramas, attracting many young people to compete for "punching in".

In Lanzhou, the Reader's Station has become a "library around the citizens". Reading, lectures, sharing and other activities make the station a new place for the cultural experience of community residents, especially for retired elderly and children after "4:30".

In Dunhuang, the reader's study team led the teenagers to appreciate the scenery of the desert and the wonders of mankind, and demonstrated the unique charm of China's excellent traditional culture in the "walking classroom".

Villages, classrooms, gas stations, bank halls... The fragrance of books pervades more and more places.

Under the modern enterprise management system, new business segments are constantly created, and the vitality of the Reader brand is constantly stimulated. Since 2019, Reader Media's operating income and profit have risen against the trend, and the magazine's circulation has also rebounded to 5.2 million copies.

"We want to build a 'century-old store' in the journal industry. While continuing to provide high-quality content and allowing people to gain positive energy in reading, it also innovates forms to make "Reader" a scene, embedded in people's lives, and help build a 'book society'. Liu Yongsheng said. (Reporters: Zhang Yujie, Duo Lei)

Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph