Jia Pingwa

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Jia.

Jia Pingwa 贾平凹
Born	Jia Pingwa (贾平娃) (1952-02-21) 21 February 1952 Shangluo, Shaanxi, China
Pen name	Jia Pingwa
Occupation	Writer
Language	Chinese
Alma mater	Northwest University (1975)
Period	1972 – present
Notable works	Deserted City, My Little Peach Tree
Spouse	Han Junfang (韩俊芳) (1979.1.22-1992.11.26) Guo Mei (郭梅) (1996.12.12– present)
Children	Jia Qianqian (贾浅浅) Jia Ruo (贾若)

Jia Pingwa (simplified Chinese: 贾平凹; traditional Chinese: 賈平凹; pinyin: Jiǎ Píngwā; born 21 February 1952), formerly known as Jia Pingwa (simplified Chinese: 贾平娃; traditional Chinese: 賈平娃; pinyin: Jiǎ Píngwá), is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. He was born in Dihua Town, Danfeng County, Shaanxi, graduated from Northwest University School of Arts in 1975, began to publish works in 1972. His novels includes "Shang State", "White Night", and the autobiographical "I am a Farmer". His 1993 novel, Deserted City was banned for its explicit sexual content by the State Publishing Administration. The novel was re-released 17 years later. His most famous novel is Shaanxi Opera, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

He is the Chairman of the Writers' Association of Shaanxi Province, and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Xi'an People's Congress. Currently he also is a member of the Presidium of the Chinese Writers' Association, Xi'an Literary Federation President, Xi'an Writers' Association Honorary Chairman, Dean of the College of Arts of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, the editor-in-chief of "Essay" (Mei Wen), In-school writer of the Ocean University of China.

He has been cited as the China's third most popular writer in a biennial poll conducted by the Chinese Publishing Science Research Center in 2006.

Biography

After he graduated from the university in 1975, he served as literary editor of Shaanxi People's Publishing House and "Chang’an" literary monthly editor. In 1982, he got started to work at Literary Federation of Xi'an city. Serving as a professional writer, he began the literary creative efforts. In 1992, he created a new proser monthly journal called Pretty Words. He was elected as the member of a council of Chinese Writers Association, the president of Chinese Writers Association of Shaanxi branch and the president of Literary Federation of Xi'an, etc. From 2003, he served as the dean of the school of Humanities and the dean of the college of Arts in Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology.

Style

Jia Pingwa’s works mix tradition and modernity, realistic and lofty. The language is simple and honest, yet inwardly taking readers’ breath away.

"Shaanxi Opera", a subtle narrative, in close detail, successfully portrays the daily true life and does a full interpretation about the changes in the confused local Chinese facing contradictory. The hustle and bustle of his characters, hidden grief, lives behind solitude. Perhaps something sturdy vanished, we face can only be a huge silence. "Shaanxi Opera" is the vivid portrayal of the era.

Jia Pingwa’s works, in a unique perspective, accurately and profoundly, portrays the time between the twentieth century to the beginning of the 21st century, in the process of modernization in the past three decades, China’s painful and tragic social transformation. They are not only a complete restoration and reproduction of real life, but also an in-depth description of contemporary Chinese people's spiritual world. His works are a true expression of modern life and emotions of the Chinese people.

His works fill with imaginary, conduct true emotion by a common expression and deliver compassion by a flat words. His readers are not only from mainland China, but also from abroad. With different national origins and cultural background, his readers share a common agreement on the positive leitmotiv his works expressed out.

List of works

From 1972, he began to publish works.

Novel:

• Shangzhou 商州 (Shangzhou, 1987)
• Fuzao (浮躁, 1987) 1988 Pegasus Prize. English translation Turbulence (1991)
• Renshen 妊娠 (Pregnancy, 1988)
• Fei Du 废都 (Deserted city, 1993) (also known as Defunct capital or Abandoned capital)
• Bai Ye 白夜(White night, 1995)
• Tu Men 土门 (Earthen door, 1996)
• Gaolao Zhuang 高老庄 ( The Old Gao village, 1998)
• Bingxiang Baogao 病相报告(Pathema report, 2002)
• Huinian Lang 怀念狼 (Missing wolves, 2000)
• Qin Qiang 秦腔 (The Qin opera, 2005)
• Gaoxing 高兴 (Happy, 2007)
• Gu Lu 古炉 (Ancient furnace, 2011)
• Dai Deng 带灯 (Dai Deng, 2013)
• Lao Sheng (Lao Sheng, 2014)

Short story collection:

• Bing Wa 兵娃 (Boy soldier, 1977)
• Shandi Biji 山地笔记 (Mountain notes, 1980)
• Layue, Zhengyue 腊月，正月 (December and January, 1985)
• Tiangou 天狗 (Heavenly dog, 1986)
• Heishi 黑氏 (Black clan, 1993)
• Zhizao Shengyin 制造声音 (Creating sounds, 1998)
• Jiaozi Guan 饺子馆 (Dumpling restaurant, 2002)
• Yishujia Han Qixiang 艺术家韩起祥 (The artist Han Qixiang, 2006), etc.

Essay collection:

• Yueji 月迹 (The trace of the moon, 1982),
• Shangzhou Sanlu 商州三录 (Three chapters about Shangzhou, 1986)
• Hong Hu 红狐 (Red fox, 1994)
• Zao Yizuo Fangzi Zhu Meng 造一座房子住梦 (Build a house to live in a dream, 1998)
• Qiao Men 敲门 (Knock on the door, 1998)
• Wo Shi Nongmin 我是农民 (I am a peasant, 1998)
• Lao Xi'an: Feidu Xieyang 老西安：废都斜阳 (Old Xi'an: the deserted capital in sunset, 1999), etc.

Poem:

• "Blank", etc.

Awards and honours

• 1987, the Pegasus prize in literature for Turbulence: A Novel. ISBN 9780802139726; ISBN 0802139728; Translator: Goldblatt, Howard; Publisher: Grove Press;

• 1997, French Prix Femina Étranger Prize for Deserted City (also known as Defunct Capital, Abandoned Capital, French: La Capitale déchue ).
  • French publisher Genevieve Imbot-Bichet translated Jia Pingwa's Defunct Capital helped Jia win the prize.

• 1984, The Best Novel of the Third National Novellas for December and January.
  • This novel was first published in the literary magazine October, 5th Volume, 1984.

• 1978, The Best Short Story of the year for Full Moon.
  • This short story was first published in the literary magazine Shanghai Art, 3rd Volume, 1978.

• 2003, Knight of Arts and Literature by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

• 2008, 7th Mao Dun Literature Prize for Shaanxi Opera.
  • This novel was first published in the literary magazine Harvest, the book was first published by Writers Publishing House.

• 2004, 3rd Lu Xun Literature Prize in excellent prose and Essays for Jia Pingwa’s Lengthy Prose Selection.
  • Published in September 2003 by Shaanxi People's Publishing House.

• 2007 September 20, 1st Pu Songling Literature Short Story Prize for Dumpling Restaurant.

• 1991 August 21, he won the Zhuang Zhongwen Literature Prize.

• 2006 June 24, he won the Outstanding Achievement Award from Liu Qing Literature Prize.

• 2006, Hong Kong The Dream of the Red Chamber Award: The World’s Distinguished Novel in Chinese" for Shaanxi Opera.

Further reading

• Chinese Writers on Writing featuring Jia Pingwa. Ed. Arthur Sze. (Trinity University Press, 2010).

External links

• Jia Pingwa: Painter or novelist?
• Narrating China: Jia Pingwa and his Fictional World (Routledge Contemporary China Series) by Yiyan Wang Routlege, 2006 ISBN 0-415-32675-3
  • Reviewed in Modern Chinese Literature and Culture by Robin Visser (2006).
• The Macho Eunuch: The Politics of Masculinity in Jia Pingwa's "Human Extremities" by Kam Louie Modern China Vol. 17, No. 2, 163-187 (1991)
• Flies' Eyes, Mural Remnants, and Jia Pingwa's Perverse Nostalgia by Carlos Rojas, positions: east Asia cultures critique 14.3 (2006) 749-773
• Intute: Arts and Humanities