Profile of Mr. Zhao Lihong

Mr Zhao Lihong has written more than 70 books in a variety of genres, including poetry, prose and “literary reportage” (“baogao wenxue”). A dozen of his proses have been included in the primary, secondary and tertiary textbooks in mainland China, and some are part of secondary school Chinese textbooks in Hong Kong and Singapore.

His works have been translated and published in many languages, resulting in a diverse influence both globally and domestically. He was widely praised for his new novel published at the end of 2013, Childhood River, which was hailed as an unexpected discovery of Chinese children’s literature.

A Citation for Honorary Fellow Mr. Zhao Lihong

Mr. Zhao Lihong is a well-known contemporary prose writer and poet. He was born in the 1950s and underwent the hardship of his generation during his youth. Separated from his family, he was sent to work with peasants far away in the countryside. However, whether being a carpenter, schoolteacher, or postman, Mr. Zhao never ceased reading or writing. Through his diligence and an unwavering commitment to his craft, Mr. Zhao was able to overcome a difficult passage from a “Shanghai young scholar” over an “interim peasant” on Chongming Island to a widely praised author.

In 1977, Mr Zhao enrolled with excellent scores in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at East China Normal University. After graduation, Mr. Zhao first was the editor of the magazine Mengya before becoming a professional writer for the Shanghai Writers’ Association. At present, Mr. Zhao is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Chinese Writers Association, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Institute of Prose, Executive Director of the Poetry Institute of China, Vice-Chairman of the Shanghai Writers’ Association, President of the magazine Shanghai Literature, and Chief-Editor of the Shanghai Metrician. He is also visiting professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, East China Normal University and Shanghai University.

Mr. Zhao has written more than 70 books in a variety of genres, including poetry, prose and “literary reportage” (“baogao wenxue”). His collection of prose and poems is widely popular amongst a critical audience and has won numerous awards worldwide. His book, The Soul of Poetry, won the New Era National Excellent Prose Collections Award. Shadow of the Sundial won the first Bing-xin Prose Award. Moreover, a dozen of his proses have been included in the primary, secondary and tertiary textbooks in mainland China, and some are part of secondary school Chinese textbooks in Hong Kong and Singapore. His works have been translated and published in English, French, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and other languages, resulting in a diverse influence both globally and domestically. In 2013, he was granted a Serbian international poetry award, the Golden Key of Smederevo Award. He was widely praised for his new novel published at the end of 2013, Childhood River, which was hailed as an unexpected discovery of Chinese children’s literature.

Mr. Zhao profoundly noted: “Time and fate are like a twisting and fierce river. In the water, you can be a duckweed or fish and flow to afar, but you do not know where you will be in the end; or you can be a strong rock, letting the fierce water strike against you and spray all over while remaining calm and poised. I would rather be a rock”. The rock implies a motto, “finding quietness in the uproar and seeking innocence in the chaos”. Young generations should embrace this motto.

Mr. Chairman, in recognition of Mr. Zhao’s outstanding achievement as a critical and popular acclaim writer and poet, it is my privilege to present him to you for the award of an Honorary Fellowship.