1980 My Literary Era.

Chapter 627 Strega Literary Award

Cheng Zaochun blocked Lin Weimin at the door of Li Xin's office with a happy face, and he knew at a glance that there must be something good.

"What's the situation?" Lin Weimin asked.

Cheng Zaochun said: "The comrades from the WS department called just now. Last night, the Italian Strega Literary Award announced this year's shortlist. Your two novels, "Burning" and "Anyway, Life Is Beautiful" were published at the same time. Shortlisted for the Strega Prize for Literature."

The Strega Award was born in 1947. In 1944, the writer Maria Bellonci organized a literary salon, which was named "Friends of Sunday" because the days of the salon are often held on weekends.

While they were having dinner in a restaurant, Maria Bellonci's husband, Goffredo Bellonci, spoke to Guido Alberti, a young businessman from Benevento, about a new literary competition plan of.

This idea convinced Alberti, who funded the prize with a generous sum of 10 lire.

In 1947, the Strega Literary Award named after Strega, a liqueur made of famous herbs produced by the Alberti family, was officially born.

According to the rules, the Strega Literary Award consists of [-] artists choosing the best one from the [-] books recommended by themselves, which becomes the best work of the Strega Literary Award that year.

Since then, the awards have been held every year and have gradually formed their own influence. Now more than 40 years have passed, and the Strega Literary Award has not only become the most important literary award in the Italian literary circle, it is as famous as the Goncourt Literary Award, and it is also the most important literary award in the European literary circle. One of the most prestigious literary awards.

Works such as Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" and Paul Giordano's "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" only became famous in Italian and European literary circles after they won the Strega Prize for Literature .

It can be seen that the "star-making" ability of the Strega Literary Prize should not be underestimated.

Hearing this news, Lin Weimin's expression was indifferent.

"It's just being shortlisted, not winning an award."

"The point is not to be shortlisted, but two works to be shortlisted. Do you know what that means?" Cheng Zaochun asked.

"What do you mean?"

Seeing his casual expression, Cheng Zaochun said helplessly: "There are only 12 judges for the Strega Literary Award, and the novels that can be shortlisted each year are only the top twelve novels recommended by everyone. "Burning" and "Anyway, Life Is Beautiful "The" was shortlisted at the same time, which proves that at least two judges in the jury support you for the award, and your chances of winning almost lead this year's Strega Literary Award."

Lin Weimin didn't think too much when he heard that he was shortlisted. After listening to Cheng Zaochun's analysis, he realized that there was such an inside story.

Last year, on behalf of Mondadori Publishing, Albert Mondadori won the awards for his works including "The Lover", "Farewell My Concubine", "The Horseman", "The Pursuit", "Burning" and "Life is Beautiful Anyway". Publishing authorization of seven works including "Hunting".

In one year, seven works were published in Italy successively, which is not inefficient.

It is also because of this that there is a spectacle of Lin Weimin being shortlisted for two works at the same time.

This is the first time in the history of the Strega Literary Prize.

A smile appeared on Lin Weimin's face, and then he thought of another question.

Logically speaking, shouldn't Albert Mondadori tell himself this news?Why did a colleague from the WS department call first?
"Tsk tsk tsk! If you win the Strega Literary Award this time, it will be the second important European literary award. I can't imagine it!" Cheng Zaochun exclaimed.

"It's early, now it's just a finalist."

Lin Weimin was in a good mood, but he didn't win an award after all, so he had to restrain himself a bit.

"Work hard! With these two awards, you are not far from the Nobel Prize in Literature."

Cheng Zaochun patted him on the shoulder, speaking earnestly and with high hopes.

"The more you talk, the more you exaggerate. The fact that you don't write a word makes what you said sound like the truth."

Among the famous literary awards in Europe, the Goncourt Prize in France, the Strega Prize in Italy, and the Man Booker Prize in the United Kingdom belong to the first echelon. If you have won any of these three literary awards, for a For writers, it is a supreme honor, and many unknown writers have become famous through such channels.

Worldwide, the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in the United States are probably as famous as these three awards. Among the three major literary awards in the United States, the National Book Critics Association Award is the most open award, but it is also The weakest in the world.

In addition to these awards, there is also a Swedish Nobel Prize in Literature, which is a bit detached.

No matter how you guys chase after him, Nobel has always been calm and unhurried.

In any case, it is a happy event that two novels were shortlisted for the Strega Literary Prize. Lin Weimin and Cheng Zaochun chatted and laughed, and they were in a good mood.

Writing novels is not entirely about winning prizes, but winning prizes is better than not winning prizes at all.Of course, it's just shortlisted now, everything is undecided.

The news that Lin Weimin's two novels were shortlisted for the Strega Literary Prize spread rapidly in the Guowen Society, and then continued to spread and spread again.

Then there were people who continued to congratulate Lin Weimin, colleagues who walked in the club to congratulate, and friends who were far away wrote letters and called to congratulate Lin Weimin.

Lin Weimin has long been used to this kind of situation. Whenever his works win awards these years, he always becomes the focus of attention of his colleagues, friends and even the national public opinion.

This time the Strega Literary Award is a little different in that the Strega Literary Award announces the top twelve nominees at the end of March every year, and then awards on the first Thursday of July every year.

Now it is shortlisted. If Lin Weimin wins the award in July, everyone has to congratulate again.

As some media paid attention to the news that Lin Weimin was shortlisted for the Strega Literary Award, more and more readers also learned about it through media reports.

Lin Weimin did not win the Yanbing Literature Award last year. As soon as the results of the awards were announced, the news came from the United States that Lin Weimin had won the National Book Critics Association Award, causing many readers to question and ridicule the Yanbing Literature Award.

It was March again this year, and news came that Lin Weimin had been shortlisted for the Strega Literary Award.

The media that reported this incident also deliberately gave readers a generalization of the gold content of the Strega Literary Award. This time Lin Weimin was shortlisted for two more works, setting a record for the Strega Literary Award.

Many readers once again dug out last year's Yanbing Literature Award, sarcasm, ridicule, and abuse.

This behavior is forming a routine among Lin Weimin's readers. Whenever Lin Weimin wins an award, the third Yanbing Literature Award will always be whipped by this group of readers to relieve their hatred.

"Winner of Yanbing Literature Award for two times" is obviously not as prestigious as "Winner of Yanbing Literature Award for three times", and this has been won three times in a row.

Because of the selfishness of some of the judges, Lin Weimin missed out on such an unprecedented and probably never-before-seen brilliant record.

This incident is enough to make many loyal readers of Lin Weimin never forget, and they can remember and hate those judges for a lifetime!

The news of being shortlisted for the Strega Literary Award is still spreading. On this weekend, Lin Weimin, Xu Feng and Michael Phillips gathered again in the coffee shop of Yanjing Hotel, but there was one more person in today's gathering.

"Mr. Lin!" Cheng Kaige came to the coffee shop early, saw Lin Weimin coming in, and hurriedly got up to shake hands with him.

"Kaige, we meet again!"

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I saw you. The last time I saw you was when I was filming "The Last Emperor" in 87."

Lin Weimin smiled and said, "That time you played the guest role of the head of the bodyguard, and you still want to study abroad, right?"

Cheng Kaige nodded, "After that, I went to the United States for exchange and study for three years. I heard that you went to the United States in 89, and I planned to visit you, but it was a step late."

The two chatted casually, and Xu Feng introduced Cheng Kaige to Michael Phillips.

After Cheng Kaige agreed to Xu Feng to direct "Farewell My Concubine" that day, he has been in touch with the behind-the-scenes team. After a few days, the main behind-the-scenes staff of the crew came up with a rough idea. Today Cheng Kaige came here to report to everyone Let's look at the situation.

"In terms of screenwriting, Ms. Xu said that Mr. Lin doesn't have time. I think I can make a name for it. The specific writing can be done by my friend Lu Wei. He is a very capable screenwriter..."

What Lin Weimin was doing this time was a "no-cost business", and he couldn't really get paid much for writing the script for the crew, so he put off writing the script.

Cheng Kaige found the original screenwriter, and he is happy to see it succeed.

As for the photographer, Cheng Kaige chose Gu Changwei.

Just like the talents of the 78-level director department, Yanying's 78-level photography department also produced several great photographers, and Gu Changwei is one of them.

In these years, Cheng Kaige and Zhang Yimou's movies cannot do without him.

Cheng Kaige mentioned the names of several behind-the-scenes personnel, but Lin Weimin didn't pay much attention because he was waiting for a name.

"Mr. Lin, Mr. Phillips, there is one more thing I have to tell you. I invited my father, Mr. Chen Huaikai, as the art director of "Farewell My Concubine". senior faculty."

The second half of Cheng Kaige's sentence was explained to Michael Phillips.

Lin Weimin had some exchanges with Yan Ying, so he naturally knew about Cheng Kaige's family background.

Michael Phillips was satisfied with the fact that Cheng Kaige asked his father to be on the stage of "Farewell My Concubine". The father and son joined the battle, which shows that he attaches great importance to this movie.

This situation also happens from time to time in the American film industry.

On the other hand, Lin Weimin was completely relieved this time.

There has always been a saying in later generations that "Farewell My Concubine" was filmed by Cheng Kaige's father, Cheng Huaikai.

There are two reasons for everyone's doubts. One is that Cheng Huaikai is indeed the film's art director, and the other is that the artistic level of "Farewell My Concubine" is indeed outstanding among Cheng Kaige's works, which is a bit unreasonable.

Later generations invested 400 million meters in the filming of "Farewell My Concubine". Looking at the domestic film industry, this is an astronomical figure.

In 1986, when Xie Tieli was planning to make the film version of "A Dream of Red Mansions", Yan Film Studio invested more than 1000 million yuan, setting a record for domestic film investment, which was less than 300 million yuan when converted into a meter.

His son Cheng Kaige is going to direct a 400 million-dollar movie, so it's only natural for his father to come out to help out.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, everyone has high hopes for the results of "Farewell My Concubine". It is better to come than not to come. It is like another insurance policy!

(End of this chapter)