Shanghai publisher's 40th birthday book bash

Founded in 1978, the Shanghai Translation Publishing House has kicked off its 40th anniversary celebrations with featured exhibitions, lectures and a series of book talk workshops.

Through the end of August, one of the villa houses in Sinan Mansions will be turned into a sea of translated books — as part of a publisher’s retrospective exhibition over the past four decades, titled “A Sail at the Fore, A World Bigger Than Before.”

Specializing in publishing Chinese translations of world literature, philosophy and social sciences, the organization publishes more than 400 titles each year, more than half of which are Chinese translations of world literature.

The house has been engaging in co-publishing projects with foreign publishers since 1988. And in 1990, when China was not yet a member country of the Berne Convention and Universal Copyright Convention, it bought the right to publish the translated version, in simplified Chinese, of Alexandra Ripley’s novel “Scarlett,” sequel to “Gone With the Wind.”

More than 800 contracts concerning translation licenses have been signed with publishers abroad, including works of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, E.M. Foster, Somerset Maugham, Erich maria Remarque, Heinrich Boll and Hermann Hesse.

Visitors also get to see some rare Chinese translations of Western philosophy, economics, history, international politics, biographies, as well as bilingual dictionaries, foreign-language reference books and textbooks.

On August 11, famous translator Guo Guoliang will read “Atonement” by British writer Ian McEwan and share with readers the satisfaction he drew from the English prose narrative.

On August 18, senior editors Feng Tao and Song Ling will talk about Kazuo Ishiguro, the 2017 Nobel Laureate in Literature, and how he took inspiration from a Tom Waits song when putting the finishing touches to “The Remains of the Day.”

For those who are interested in non-fiction, you can attend editor Zhang Jiren’s workshop and get an understanding of what makes Peter Hessler’s China books so enjoyable.

Besides, there are talks on Umberto Eco, Patrick Modiano, Simone de Beauvoir and many more.

Over the course of the events, coffee, snacks and music — the three good companions to books — are also available to make the place an inspiring meeting place for translators as well as readers.

Exhibition details

Date: Through August 28, 10am-8:30pm
Venue: Sinan Mansions
Address: 515 Fuxing Rd M.