Long River Press: changing people's perception of China

An entry in Compton's Encyclopedia contains this distinction about Chinese literature: it is the only one in the world that has been written in the same language for over 3,000 years. This continuity owes itself to the fact that China's written language uses characters instead of letters.

Chinese characters stand for ideas and things, and don't need to be spoken. This has made it possible for China's written literature to be read everywhere in the country despite gradual changes in pronunciation, the development of regional and local dialects, and the modification of characters.

Writing in characters instead of letters does have a slight disadvantage. It requires knowledge of about a thousand characters for basic reading and writing. This has made it hard to spread literacy in some parts of the country.

Imagine how hard it would be to transfer this wealth of knowledge to another language. A recent article in the International Herald Tribune acknowledges that the spread of Chinese literature is hampered by difficulties in translation. The cost of translation often proves too prohibitive for publishers to undertake.

Filling the void

In the United States, a small publishing house called Long River Press has stepped up to bring Chinese literature to a western audience. "Long River Press is incorporated in the United States but our investors are two of the largest publishing groups in China and Hong Kong. Our editorial focus is to publish books about Chinese history, culture and society," Chris Robyn, Editorial and Managing Director of the company explains.

The name is a reflection of the company's vision. "In Chinese, Long River is Chang He, which, of course, is a contraction of the two longest rivers in China -- Chang Jiang and Huang He. 'Chang He' actually refers to a philosophical concept denoting the 'endless flow' of history: In the endless flow of absolute truth, there are innumerable relative truths."Chris Robyn hopes Long River Press will help change people's perception about China. (Image: Long River Press)

"Our purpose is to publish what I like to call 'foundational' books which help to reinforce the discovery of China for each new generation, while also exploring the development of books in new disciplines and genres in fiction and nonfiction."

Long River Press has published about 30 titles since its inception in 2002. Robyn explains that the company is something between a trade publisher and a university press. "I like to think that our books will appeal to a general interest audience who may be new to the China field; while on the other hand, experienced China readers, including scholars, can hopefully find something new or interesting for themselves, their family, friends, or students. This duality is one of the things that sets us apart: the ability to work comfortably in a variety of different disciplines and with different audience needs in mind."

"Knowing your subject matter is key," Robyn continues, "and we are actively exploring new titles that will hopefully appeal to a literary and cultural studies audience. We will continue with our titles in language learning, and will offer a line of books for general interest and younger readers."

For Long River Press, having a parent company based in Asia is a definite advantage. It was established by the same company that owns China Books, a specialty publisher and distributor of books about China. "Because of the close relationship, we can draw upon the latest printing and book manufacturing technologies, bring our books to market at an attractive price point, and offer competitive discounts to wholesalers."

In 2007, there are big plans afoot, "We will enter into an agreement with Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, one of the largest book distributors in the United States and Canada. In doing so, we will effectively be the first Chinese-owned press ever to have such a relationship with a major American distributor."

A different view

Robyn believes that a significant factor that sets Long River Press apart is how they view China. "The history of the land, the cultural traditions, the human experience, the rise and fall of dynasties, and the stories of the common people are the things that inspire us. I think this inspiration and sense of enthusiasm shows in our products. It is an absolute prerequisite for working here."

China's opening up has led to a lot of interest in the country. "For most people, China is still an exotic, far-off place, though certainly less than a decade ago. The fact is that people from all over the world are going to China and there is an unprecedented level of interaction going on between cultures."

Robyn also acknowledges, though, that "there is still a major difference between China's visual culture and its print culture, that is, what we learn from looking at something versus reading about it. How do we process and interpret what we see or read? The zenith of Chinese visual culture in the West is still the martial arts movie. China's print culture, by contrast, has suffered greatly; Western publishers are seen as the most authoritative and impartial sources about China. We hope to be able to change people's perceptions about China in a significant way."

Robyn believes that the growing interest in China can only be beneficial. "What is happening in China can only enhance its cultural appeal, no matter where you stand in terms of economics or politics. If relations between East and West are strained, it just makes our job that much harder."

"At present, there is a surge of interest in China. For us, a market now exists that didn't exist five years ago or even two years ago. There was a time when you said China and a lot of people saw tanks. Now it's oil tankers. A lot of people in the West look at China and see almost unlimited opportunity for marketing and product development. But both East and West have to be careful. We have to respect the cultural traditions and sensibilities on both sides."