Rebuffing media reports that the talented martial art writer Louis Cha is joining Chinese Writers' Association (CWA), as honorary vice-chairman, the spokesman of CWA clarified that Cha, at present, was just another member, newly enrolled.
Talking to the Global Times, Chen Qirong, the spokesman of CWA, said, “At present, we have not made any decision regarding Cha's role, and he will be an ordinary member just like the other writers newly enrolled. This is the necessary process for each member to join the association, and the final result will be revealed after June 24.”
Cha, now 85, the celebrated writer of novels on chivalrous swordsman, caused a stir in the media recently for his alleged entry in CWA as a senior member.
The news also triggered an intense discussion among Cha's fans saying that a government institute like CWA is not the most sought after place for a versatile writer of Cha’s caliber.
Cha has published dozens of bestsellers that have struck a chord among Chinese readers, and many of his works have been adapted into TV dramas and translated into other languages.
For all his success, Cha, for a long time, was excluded from the traditional literary circle, owing to the content of his novels, which centered on romance and chivalry swordsmanship, what critics call the “grass-roots” literature.
The news about Cha joining CWA has prompted many netizens to comment that it was like “a senior monk in a small temple.”
Chinese Writers’ Association, founded by the government in September 1953, has long been regarded as an institute for complacent writers, supported and funded by the government.
The association’s role has been flayed by several intellectuals, including several sharp writers, who refused the invitation to join the association. Well known writer Han Han, was one such writer, who once said, “As long as this association continues to exist, there will not be a true and promising growth for China’s original literature.”
Editor:Wang Nan
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