Luo Hongyu (, born June 20, 1942"Gu Hua" ''The Writers Directory 2010''. Ed. Lisa Kumar. 25th ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press, 2009. 1082. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012.), better known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Gu Hua (), is a Chinese author. His writings concern rural life in the mountainous area of southern Hunan of which he was very familiar."Gu Hua 1942–." ''Encyclopedia of Modern China''. Ed. David Pong. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2009. 150-151. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012. In 1988 he emigrated to Canada.

Life

He was born in a small village of only forty or fifty families. Rural traditions had been very well-preserved there and inspired him during his formative years. Later, when he attended school, he was exposed to classical works (such as ''

The Five Younger Gallants ''The Five Younger Gallants'' (小五義) is an 1890 Chinese novel and the best known sequel to the hugely popular 1879 novel ''The Tale of Loyal Heroes and Righteous Gallants'' (republished as '' The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants'' in 1889). It i ...

'') and developed an interest in literature. However, his father died when he was still quite young and, in 1958, he was forced to suspend his education for a year to help his family. In 1959, he was accepted at the Agricultural Technology School in

Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...

Prefecture. Two years later, toward the end of the

Great Chinese Famine The Great Chinese Famine () was a period between 1959 and 1961 in the history of the People's Republic of China (PRC) characterized by widespread famine. Some scholars have also included the years 1958 or 1962. It is widely regarded as the dead ...

, he was transferred to the Qiaokou Agricultural Institute in Yinzhou and worked on a small rural farm for fourteen years, through most of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

. His first published works appeared in 1962. He published prolifically from 1971 to 1976 and, in 1975, became a creative consultant for the

Ganzhou Ganzhou (), alternately romanized as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in the south of Jiangxi province, China, bordering Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, and Hunan to the west. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong District. Hist ...

song and dance troupe. Much of his writing was influenced by the concept of the "" (三突出). In 1980, he became a member of the

China Writers Association China Writers Association or Chinese Writers Association (CWA, ) is a subordinate people's organization of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC). Founded in July 1949, the organization was initially named the China National Lite ...

(CWA). In 1988, he emigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, where he still maintains his residence. Despite this, he has served as President and Vice-Chairman of the Hunan branch of the CWA.

Works

Gu is best known for his 1981 novel ''Furong zhen'' ('' A Small Town Called Hibiscus'') which won the inaugural

Mao Dun Literature Prize Mao Dun Literature Prize () is a prize for novels, established in the will of prominent Chinese writer Mao Dun (for which he personally donated 250,000 RMB) and sponsored by the China Writers Association. Awarded every four years, it is one of ...

(1982), one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China.Guang, Yang (2011, Sep 21). "The best is yet to come, says writer Mo Yan." ''McClatchy - Tribune Business News''. It was the third top-selling novel to ever win that prize, selling over 850,000 copies. The novel was a rebuke of the Cultural Revolution. It was adapted to film in 1986 as '' Hibiscus Town'', winning many awards including 'Best Film' of the 1987

Golden Rooster Awards The Golden Rooster Awards () are film awards given in mainland China. The awards were originally given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981. Award recipients receive a statuette in the shap ...

. In 1986, ''The New York Times'' reported that he has "risen to prominence in the last three years among some younger writers who seek to rediscover, if not necessarily to affirm, China's traditional life and values. In China he has been called the

Shen Congwen Shen Congwen (28 December 1902 – 10 May 1988), formerly romanized as Shen Ts'ung-wen, was a Chinese writer who is considered one of the greatest modern Chinese writers, on par with Lu Xun. Regional culture and identity plays a much bigger rol ...

of the 1980s and even the

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wor ...

of Hunan," although Perry Link (professor of Chinese at the University of California) disagreed that Gu is comparable to those talents. His novel, ''Virgin Widows'' (''Chen Neu'') deals with outmoded views of chastity and adultery.Sorensen, Simon. "Virgin Windows." ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book revie ...

'' 72.1 (1998): 203. Literature Resource Center. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012. He published a new anthology of his poetry in 2015 and a novel, ''Beijing Relics'', in 2016.

Works

*1981 ''Furong zhen'', trans. by G. Yang as '' A Small Town Called Hibiscus'', 1983 *1982 ''Paman Qingteng Oe Muwu'', 1982, trans. as ''Pagoda Ridge and Other Stories'', 1986 *1986 ''Xin ge jing'', 1986 *1984 ''Gu Hua Zhongpian Xiaoshuoji'', trans. as ''Collected Novellas of Gu Hua'' *1984 ''Jiejie Zhai'', trans. as ''Sisters' Village'' *1985 ''Gu Hua Xiaoshud Xuan'', trans. as ''Selected Novels of Gu Hua'' *1985 ''Chen Neu'', trans. by H. Goldblatt as ''Virgin Widows'', 1997 *Other books published in Chinese *Screenplays of own novels

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gu, Hua 1942 births Living people Short story writers from Hunan People from Chenzhou International Writing Program alumni Mao Dun Literature Prize laureates Chinese male novelists Chinese male short story writers People's Republic of China short story writers