The National Endowment for the Arts has chosen Copper Canyon Press to be the U.S. publisher for its International Literary Exchange with China. The exchanges are designed help American houses publish and promote contemporary anthologies in translation. Copper Canyon will receive $117,000 to support the translation, publication and promotion of a bilingual anthology of work by about 35 Chinese poets born after 1945.
The anthology is slated for spring 2011 and will be edited and introduced by poet and editor Qingping Wang. Chinese literature scholars (and husband-and-wife) Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin will translate. As part of the arrangement, China’s General Administration of Press and Publication will publish a “companion” bilingual anthology of some 35 contemporary U.S. poets edited by American poet David Mason. A pub date for that work has not yet been announced.
The NEA launched its International Literary Exchange program in 2006 and has so far undertaken literary exchange publication projects with Mexico, Pakistan, Russia and northern Ireland. Pennie Ojeda, the NEA’s director for international affairs, said the $117,000 will go toward translation, production and marketing. It will also be used for promotional events in both countries, such as bilingual readings.
