Nobel winner lost in translation -- china.org.cn

Novelist Doris Lessing won the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature last night, sending Chinese publishing houses scrambling for the rights to her works.

In making its selection, the Swedish Academy described Lessing, born in Persia, raised in Rhodesia and now living in London, as "the epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny."

But her works are not well known among Chinese readers. Domestic publishing houses did not expect her to win and failed to line up translation rights in advance.

Only a few books among her vast body of work have been translated into Chinese. They include her first book, The Grass Is Singing, a couple of her most famous works - The Golden Notebook and Love, Again, and a collection of short stories.

Covers of The Grass Is Singing, English and Chinese versions, written by Doris Lessing, was first published in 1950. The Chinese version was translated and published by Yilin Press in 1999.

Covers of The Golden Notebook, English and Chinese versions, written by Doris Lessing, was first published in 1962. The Chinese version was translated and published by Yilin Press in 2003.

Covers of Love, Again, English and Chinese versions, written by Doris Lessing, was first published in 1995. The Chinese version was translated and published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House in 2001.

Publishing houses in Shanghai are now trying to get the translation rights to some of her other works, even though they don't hold high sales expectations.

"Books by Nobel Prize winners are undeniably classics, but they only attract a small group of readers who really love foreign literature," Wu Hong, vice general editor of the Shanghai Translation Publishing House, told Shanghai Daily.

"Their works are published more because of their significance and the beauty of the words rather than for commercial gain."

Wu's firm published Lessing's Love, Again in 2001 and will check its contract expiration day to see whether a reprint is possible.

As for past winners, the Shanghai Translation Publishing House obtained the rights to two books by Elfriede Jelinek, who won the Nobel Price for literature in 2004, and three books by Imre Kertesz, who won the prize in 2002.

Although My Name Is Red, written by 2006 Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, sold 290,00 copies, a record for a translated Nobel Prize winner's book, Wu considered that to be an exception.

"If we get the rights to Lessing's books, the first edition will probably be 10,000 to 20,000 copies, based on past sales experience," Wu said.

(Shanghai Daily October 12, 2007)