Our Chinese Language and Literature students have just launched the second edition of their Chinese Literature magazine. This edition features 18 original pieces and translations by Grade 11 and 12 IB Diploma Programme (DP) students.

We sat down with Editor-in-Chief, Sihan G., and translator Lauren C. to hear about the inspiration, challenges, and highlights of the new edition.

Can you tell us about the Chinese Language and Literature club?

Sihan: The Chinese Literature Society is a club designed to inspire interest in Chinese literary writing, offering members opportunities to explore diverse Chinese literary forms and thereby deepen their understanding of Chinese literature. My role is to lead the society, mainly by collaborating with all members to produce the magazine. It’s a collective effort that allows more people to discover and appreciate Chinese literature.

What was the inspiration behind creating this literary magazine?

Sihan: In this age of information, people increasingly favour watching videos. While videos can offer relaxation, they often lack contemplation. Literary magazines, however, encourage immersive, unhurried deep reading, allowing readers to reflect.

Lauren: For me, it’s also about helping individuals connect with their roots and share their culture with the community. It was essential to keep the magazine going to perpetuate the cross-culture experience that individuals can get from reading the magazine.

What were some of the challenges faced during this project, and how were they overcome?

Lauren: Translation was definitely a challenge. Many idioms, sayings, and references were deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and it was essential to preserve the author’s authentic voice while making the English version accurate and meaningful. To do this, we worked closely with the original authors, holding discussions and asking questions, to fully grasp the intention and meaning behind each phrase.

What literary or cultural themes do you see emerging in this year’s edition?

Sihan: In past editions, most contributions were essays and poems, often personal reflections. This year, though, we’ve seen a surge in creative writing, such as dream journals, and narratives about video game characters, and more, rendering the material far more vivid and multifaceted.

What’s your favourite piece from this year’s magazine?

Sihan: My favourite is “The Rain Water Goose”. It explores the author's own dreams in a way that feels exceptionally unique and novel.

Lauren: I was drawn to the piece about the excursion to Sri Lanka. It was enlightening, while philosophical, describing the breathtaking moments of the trip whilst reflecting on the learning opportunities.

What has been the most rewarding or exciting part of putting this year’s edition together?

Sihan: Without a doubt, seeing the finished magazine. That moment brought me the most joy because it was the tangible result of a year-long collective effort. It truly felt like the fruit of all our hard work.

Editor-in-Chief: Sihan G.

Authors: Sihan G., Yue H., Jiayi J., Jielin C., Mingzhuo L., Yufei L., Xinlin X., Hanwen Z.,

English translators: Lauren C., Stephanie W., Claire C.

You can view the softcopy of the magazine here, and English translations of selected works here. This magazine is also available for browsing in the secondary library.