Yuan Ying

When we finished the 1997-1998 volume of 12 books and sent them to the publisher, we were in a mood of excitement and joy that was different from previous years.

This is because what we have just experienced is an extraordinary time.

In the early morning of July 1, 1997, the five-star red flag rose for the first time in the sky of the motherland, and the sons and daughters of China realized the dreams and pursuits that generations have dreamed of. In September of that year, the CPC held its 15 th National Congress, which formulated a grand blueprint and program of action for the people of all nationalities throughout the country to step into the new century to build socialist modernization, and sounded the clarion call for the Chinese people to march boldly into the 21 st century on the road of reform and opening up.

In our flowery literary garden, we have also experienced unusual years. Following the Fourth National Congress 12 years ago, the "Fifth Congress" of the Writers' Association once again became a mobilization meeting and a pledge meeting to unite writers across the country to take up the pen in their hands and greet the new era and new century with excellent works. Subsequently, in a period of more than a year, the 4th Mao Dun Literature Award and the first Lu Xun Literature Award were held one after another, and a number of outstanding novels, novellas, short stories, poems, essays, essays, reportage, theoretical criticism and translation works were evaluated, showing the high level and new achievements of literary creation in recent years. During this period, creative conferences of middle-aged writers and young writers were held one after another, meeting friends with literature, promoting writing, exchanging experiences, and learning from each other, which undoubtedly played a promoting role in promoting creation.

The gathering of young writers made us feel a burst of fresh breath. The contingent of young writers has always been a new army full of vitality, not only with the strongest pioneering spirit of the times and a sense of artistic innovation, but also with the strongest sense of social responsibility and historical mission, and they are where the hope for the development and prosperity of Chinese literature lies. It is commendable that a group of young writers with ambition and insight have continuously purified and sublimated their understanding and soul in the process of improving themselves and enriching themselves, and in the course of life and creative practice, the young writer Guan Renshan said the following: "We cannot avoid the problem of understanding the times and understanding life. Is our time a great time? Is the brilliance of the changes of the times worth expressing in literature? A writer needs to convert the topic of society and the topic of the times into his own topic and the topic of literature. In addition to the factors of personal familiarity, feelings and interests, the choice of realistic themes is more important than the inspiration and responsibility of the times. Of course, we will no longer follow the old path of "subject matter decides", and the value of any work never depends on the subject matter, but on the depth of the author's understanding of life and artistic skills. However, there is really no reason for a responsible young writer not to devote all his efforts to depicting and showing the colorful real life and singing for the great era.

From the work we are engaged in in the "21**** Star Series", we can get vivid confirmation. The series began in 1994 and ran in one volume per year until 1996. In 1997 and 1998, the two years of editing and publication were smoothly carried out and combined into one volume. In five years, four volumes, a total of fifty-one works by fifty-two authors were published. I can't say it's a grand spectacle, but it's a remarkable achievement. In the process of carefully considering and evaluating this volume, the jury members all had a common feeling and understanding: the twelve works in front of them can be said to have reached a new height on the overall level compared with the previous three volumes. The literary career is developing, the level of writers is improving, and young writers are making new discoveries in grasping the pulse of the times and expressing real life. We clearly saw and felt their footprints, and we were very happy. In terms of artistic techniques, we also see that some authors are dissatisfied with the bread chewed by their predecessors and diligently devote themselves to their own attempts and explorations. Although all kinds of efforts may still need to be summarized and improved, the author's spirit of abandoning the old path and forging ahead with determination and perseverance is very valuable.

Those of us who are mixed in the literary circle of the capital often encounter some masterpieces that may not be regarded as real masterpieces but are hyped up in a lively and lively manner, so we can't help but feel deceived. From the works that are full of life and deliberately refined, we see that the hidden springs are gushing and the fires are burning. They show infinite potential and infinite hope. Most of the 40 authors listed in this series in the first three years have continued to move forward on the road of literature, leaving solid footprints and dedicating new fruits. Young poets Shen Wei and Xin Ru won the first Lu Xun Literature Award Poetry Award for their poetry collections "Staying in an Instant" and "Looking for Glory" in the "21**** Star Series". While rejoicing in these good news, we have more than once remembered the ancient proverb that "the peach and plum do not speak, and the next is its own", and we are willing to encourage our colleagues in youth literature with this simple truth.

The 21st century is just around the corner, looking up at the sky, the stars are shining, and the heart is pounding and difficult to calm down, as if I heard a song that often rings at the party:

You are a star,

I am a star,

Weaving another dawn of the motherland......