Readers relishing CaoWenxuan’s latest novel

Oceane, a French girl, met DuMeixi, a Chinese sailor, at a cafe in Marseilles in 1925 and followed him to Shanghai to inherit his family’s silk business nearly 15 years later.

But as war and hunger invaded their lives, the couple tried to deal with the situation with as much dignity as possible, finally departing during the “cultural revolution” (1966-76).

This is from The Eye of the Dragonfly, a novel by Cao Wenxuan, who is the first winner of theHansChristian Andersen Award from China. The novel debuted in People’s Literature magazine in June and was published more recently as an individual book by Phoenix Juvenile and Children’s Publishing.

The story has been in the author’s mind for long.

The market reacted zealously to Cao’s new work. More than 600 copies of the magazine signed by the author were booked within a month, editors from People’s Literature say.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed with the many interviews and events since returning from Bologna (the Italian city where the international award for children’s literature was announced), but I’m trying to fulfill some of the appointments I made before that trip,” Cao says.

Oceane’s granddaughter A Mei is featured as the main character in the novel. To her, granny is a “typical Shanghaistyle elegant elderly lady who speaks and even bargains in the local dialect, but once she smiles, she returns to being a French lady”.

“Cao’s work shows that children’s perspectives are not shallow, and that they experience the same cruelty, fear and depth of life as us (adults),” says Eric Abrahamsen, editor of Pathlight, the magazine’s English version.

The story, spanning some 40 years, begins in the French port city and moves to Shanghai, whereit is largely set, and later to Yibin, a riverside town along the Yangtze River in Southwest China’s Sichuan province.

Cao looks at the historical turmoil and its influences with his signature language — peaceful, melancholy and beautiful.

Chinese author Cao Wenxuan

TheEyeoftheDragonfly.

“Cao has created many ‘Chinese stories’. This time, the Chinese story is about an expat French lady and her homesickness, which is refreshing,” says Xu Zechen, a writer and editor at People’s Literature.

The eyes of the dragonfly are two antique glass beads that are passed down from A Mei’s ancestors. Her granny loses them, regains them and leaves them to A Mei before she commits suicide. Before that, the grandfather takesAMei to seek a bottle of perfume for Oceane, and is accused of spying and gets beaten. The tragedies weave a powerful narrative.

“My own childhood was filled with miseries and memories of hunger, so I hope to provide young readers an understanding of how to treat miseries,” says Cao. “Many hardships the country has gone through are where its power and fortune lie. Smart writers should know how to utilize the resources.”

Although Cao has tried many themes, morality, the appreciation of beauty and compassion have remained the three main areas of his writing. Hisworksare recommended in Chinese schools for the use of language.

Late last month, the Cao Wenxuan Literature and Art Center under the China Publishing Corp held a seminar to explore the IP potential of his works, intending to create TV, film, game and even stage adaptations of his works, and to seek more opportunities of international cooperation. Cao’s work Bronze and Sunflower is to be turned into a stage play, while The Iron Mark is to be adapted into an animation film.

Cao says he’s focusing on finishing a novel as a gift to himself for the Andersen Award that he will receive in NewZealand in August.

The new novel’s story is based on rural children whose parents are pursuing jobs away from home. Government figures suggest there are more than 60 million “left-behind” children in China.

Cao’s upcoming book tells of a young boy’s adventures along with his younger sister, a goose and a sheep as they look for their missing grandma who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.