Zhao Shuli
Zhao Shuli (Chinese赵树理, Zhao Shuli Pinyin ) (* 1906, † 1970) was a Chinese writer from the People's Republic of China.
Biography
Zhao was born in 1906 in the district of Qinshui in north China's Shanxi Province, the son of a poor farmer. 1925-1927 he attended a teacher training school, from which he was however expelled for participation in the student movement. From 1930 he began to write stories. After a short imprisonment, he worked as a teacher and worker until he joined in 1937 with the beginning of the war against Japan as a propagandist and editor of an army unit. After the founding of the People 's Republic of China, he held in Beijing from higher functions in the field of literature. However, during the Cultural Revolution, he fell into disgrace and died in 1970 at the consequences of severe ill-treatment in Taiyuan.
Work
Zhao began in 1930 with the writing of short stories, but his most important works are from the 40s and 50s. Best known are his stories, campaigning against superstition, and for free marriages, such as Xiao Erhei jiehun (Chinese小二黑 结婚) ( " The Marriage of Xiao Erhei " ) of 1943. Both in this work and in his novel Lijiazhuang de bianqian (Chinese李家庄 的 变迁) ( " the conversion of the village Lijiazhuang " ) of 1945, he deals with the changes in the country under Communist rule in a positive way apart.
Known also made him the revival of traditional Chinese design forms, such as in Li Youcai banhua (Chinese李有才 板 话) ( " The verdict songs of Li Youcai " ) from 1943, and the use of the rural population level language. This corresponded to the aesthetic requirements of Mao from the speeches of Yan'an, if is not exactly clear whether Mao influence exerted on Zhao's style or it developed independently of its requirements in this direction.
An important influence was probably also the flow of Chinese village and home of prose that xiangtu wenxue that Zhao Shuli evolved as head of the so-called " potato literary school".
Translations
Most of his works were translated into German. Even English-language translations are available.
- Zhao Shuli: The Songs of Yu- tsai. Übers v. J. Kalmer, Berlin ( East) ( 1950)
- Zhao Shuli: The changes of the village Lijiazhuang. Übers v. Tjen Nou, Berlin ( East) ( 1952)
- Zhao Shuli: Changes in Li Village. Intl Law & Taxation Publ (2005)