Wei Hui Promotes Novel In Zagreb

The young Chinese whose first novel was burnt and banned, visited Zagreb to promote her new novel “Marrying Buddha”.

Promoter of the Chinese sexual revolution Wei Hui, is a controversial writer whose novel “Shanghai Baby” was banned by Chinese authorities due to spreading of western culture. Presenting her new novel “Marrying Buddha”, upon the call of V.B.Z. publisher she decided to visit Zagreb.

Young Chinese author, one of the most provocative people in China, became famous world-wide with her first novel “Shanghai Baby”, after it was banned and burnt in China it became a world bestseller, was sold in more than six million copies, translated into more than 34 languages and published in 45 countries.

Wei Hui who then worked as a newspaper editor which she had to censor before publishing, dissatisfied with the situation around her, tried to find peace in the Underground, Sex Pistols, Nirvana, realistically presenting in her writing of the modern China what sort of turmoil this vast society was in. For her generation Wei Hui says it does not believe in God, but neither in the great leader. After “Shanghai Baby”, a certain boom of similar novels with the same theme occurred in China.

“Shanghai Baby” is a bestseller which openly speaks of modern China, country that changes outstandingly fast and gives an insight into contemporary Chinese culture as well as issues of women’s independence and sexuality. With explicit sex descriptions, new materialism of this society is also openly presented whose members attend to art and literature just as carefully as to their own appearance, spend money on designer clothes, daze themselves with favourite drugs, electronic rhythms.  

“Writing about making love, while not falling into vulgarity is a culmination in writing in general”, said writer Milana Vukovic Runjic of Wei Hui`s book.

Novel “Marrying Buddha” possesses a certain philosophical depth which “Shanghai Baby” did not have. This novel gave her a certain and awaited rehabilitation in China as the authorities gave her a chance to publish it, with precise cessions, of course: she had to change the title, throw out sex descriptions and parts about her colleagues who receive a monthly salary from the Chinese government.

“Marrying Buddha” is another story about longing and a passionate life. Upon returning from New York to Shanghai, Coco meets up with Muju and Nick and once more falls into the jaws of passion, with two men this time. After these affairs, Coco finds out she is pregnant without any idea who the father is. This is the second semi-biography and a certain sequel to “Shanghai Baby”.

“I saw some things starting to change in China, was angry with a lot of things and quite dissatisfied with many social relationships, I simply began writing about it and here it is. I believe the media would not put me on a pedestal if I were not of Chinese origin”, says Wei Hui.

Soon, a film will me made according to “Shanghai Baby”, which will be shown at the Berlin Film Festival Berlinale. What kind of influence will it have or whether people in China will be able to see it does not worry Wei Hui, because, according to her, “Boot leg peddlers sell films on each corner and I am convinced who ever wants to, will see the film”.

At a press conference Wei Hui discovered she wrote a new novel which will soon be published, thanked for the invitation of her Croatian editor Nenad Rizvanovic to Croatia, who is the only male editor of her book.

When she is not traveling across the world, Wei Hui is now living in New York, where she came only a day before the terrorist attack on the WTC building. Although she did not wish to comment on the American foreign policy towards Iraq, she said “as a Buddhist I cannot accept any form of violence”.

Wei Hui will stay in the city for a few days and her readers, upon the “Marrying Buddha” book-signing which will be held on February 12 at the V.B.Z. bookstore in Branimir centre, will have the opportunity to ask her what they wish to know.