Qin Wenjun facts for kids
Qin Wenjun (秦文君; born 1954) is a famous Chinese author who writes wonderful books for children and young people. She writes in Chinese, and her stories are loved by many readers.
About Her Life and Books
Qin Wenjun was born in Shanghai, China, in 1954. When she was 17, in 1971, she went to live and work in a forest area in Daxing'an Ling Prefecture, Heilongjiang province. This was part of a program where young people from cities went to rural areas to help. Her first story, a short novel called "Shining Fireflies" (《闪亮的萤火虫》), was published in 1981. In 1984, she finished her studies in language and literature at East China Normal University. After that, she worked as an editor at the Shanghai Children's Press, helping to publish books for kids. Today, Qin Wenjun has important roles. She is a leader at the Shanghai Board on Books for Young People (SHBBY), which helps decide which books are good for young people. She is also a Vice President of the Shanghai Writers Association and a member of the China Writers Association. Many of Qin Wenjun's novels have been turned into popular films and TV shows. These adaptations have even won top awards in China! Her books have also been translated into many languages, like English, Dutch, Japanese, and Korean, so children all over the world can enjoy them.
Making Stories Fun and Real
In the 1990s, Qin Wenjun started using humor in her books to show what it's like to be a modern teenager. Her book Schoolboy Jia Li (1993) is a great example, and it has sold over a million copies! In 2006, she talked about what she thinks makes a good children's book. She believes that children's literature should understand the real lives of Chinese children. She has helped make sure that books for young people are valued and protected. Her unique way of writing has given children's literature a strong and fun foundation.
Awards and Honours
Qin Wenjun has won many important awards for her books. Here are some of them:
- 2017 Nominated for the 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award. This is a very big international award for children's authors.
- 2016 My Marble-Hearted Father won a Best Literary Work Award at the Chen Bochui Children's Literature Awards.
- 2002 Shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
- 1999 Shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This is another major international award for children's and young adult literature.
- 1998 《四弟的绿庄园》 won the Bing Xin Children’s Literature Award (冰心儿童文学奖).
- 1997 《男生贾里》Jia Li won 1st prize in the National Outstanding Children’s Literature Award (China).
- 1997 《男生贾里》Jia Li also won the China Writers Association Children's Literature Award.
- 1997 《男生贾里》Jia Li was awarded the Shanghai City 3rd Children's Literature Award.
- 1997 《宝贝当家》 won the National (全国五个一工程奖).
- 1996 Won the it:Premio Mondello Special Prize.
- 1996 《家有小丑》 won the Taiwan Nine Songs Children's Literature Award.
- 1995 《秦文君中篇儿童小说选》 won the Taiwan Yang Huan Children's Literature Award.
Books
Qin Wenjun has written over 50 books! Here are some of her well-known titles, with approximate English translations:
- 《我是花木兰》I am Hua Mulan, illustrated by Yu Rong (Reycraft Books, 2019)
- 《会跳舞的向日葵》 translated into English as Aroma's Little Garden by Tony Blishen (2016)
- 《天棠街3号》 translated into English as 3 Tian Tang Street by Wu Xiaozhen
- Curly the Black Goat, Hoopy the White Goat
- 《大狗喀啦克拉的公寓》 Smiling Kalakela
- Jia Li at Junior High (English translation by Belinda Yun-ying Louie and Douglas Heung Louie, 1997)
- 《男生贾里全传》 The Complete Story of Jia Li
- 《一个女孩的心灵史》 The Mind of a Girl
- 《逃逃》 Taotao
- 《调皮的日子》
- 《女生贾梅全传》
- 《小丫林晓梅》
- 《宝贝当家》
- 《小香咕系列》
- Girl at Sixteen
See also
- Interview with Shanghai Daily, 28 December 2014.
- Qin Wenjun as a speaker at the Asian Festival of Children's Content, Singapore, 2015.
- Qin Wenjun - biography and nomination for prize.
