Story on Shanghai cafes wins top prize in writing contest
The winners of the 6th Shanghai Get-Together Writing Contest were announced on Tuesday at the Shanghai Library East, the city's new landmark and cultural destination.
It also marked the 20th anniversary of the "Window of Shanghai," a Chinese book donation program that promotes global cultural exchange.
Argentina's Angela Pradelli took the first prize. Her story "The Cafés of Shanghai and a Slight Dilemma" depicts her life in Shanghai as well as her childhood in South America. Third prize winner Yow Kahlok's "Cure•Shanghai" explores the relationship between doctors and patients through the Malaysian medical student's internship in Shanghai hospitals, providing readers with a broader range of thought.
Another third-place story, "The Magic City," by Federico Fabian Demarco, also from Argentina, is a fun travelogue about Shanghai's cultural relic sites like Baoshan Temple and Fengcheng Old Street.
"Chinese culture and history have always fascinated me," Demarco said.
"The city has inspired me since I moved here four years ago," he said in fluent Chinese and Shanghai dialect. "I enjoy being here. It's already my second home."
Awards ceremony of the 6th Shanghai Get-Together Writing Contest
The global writing contest, organized by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism and the Shanghai Library, received 283 entries from 33 countries and regions. A panel of judges chose the final winners – one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes and 11 fourth prizes – for how well they represented the diversity of contemporary Shanghai and Shanghai life.
"The writers are eager to share their Shanghai experiences with the world and to show their love of the magnificent Chinese culture and civilization," said Jing Ying, vice president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. "Shanghai is a window on China to the rest of the world, and I hope that more foreign friends can learn about the city, its people, and their way of life."
The writing competition is part of the "Window of Shanghai" program, which is a part of the "China Book International" Project. Its goal is to introduce Chinese history and culture to readers outside China, to promote Chinese civilizations and new developments by donating books to foreign libraries and related institutions.
Over the last two decades, Shanghai Library has exchanged books with 177 libraries and research institutes from over 75 countries and regions.
"Shanghai's Window has gone global. It has progressed from paper copies to ebooks, from book donations to physical events like lectures, forums and folk art performances," said Chen Chao, director of the Shanghai Library. "We hope the 'Window' will become a city cultural card with international influence, a bridge that connects China and the rest of the world."
