從紅燈籠到黃雀記 = From Raise the Red Lantern to The Oriole
Organizer
嶺南大學中文系、康樂及文化事務署香港公共圖書館
Event Title
嶺南大學「駐校作家計劃」
Document Type
Public Seminar
Date
4-10-2014
Time
7:00 p.m. -- 8:30 p.m.
Venue
香港銅鑼灣高士威道66號香港中央圖書館地下演講廳
Description
蘇童最為人熟悉的作品《妻妾成群》，曾獲導演張藝謀改編為電影《大紅燈籠高高掛》，原來是他多年前一位編輯部同事以激將法挑起的一場「寫作革命」。蘇童先生在4月10日舉行的嶺南大學駐校作家計劃2014公開講座上透露了這段有趣的掌故。
蘇先生的早期作品與傳統中國小說大異其趣，被視為「先鋒派」作家。他寫作《妻妾成群》之前從事編輯工作。他回憶說：「當時一位同事不太喜歡我的小說，有一天更取笑我：『你連故事也寫不好，怎麼人家都說你是個好作家呢？』我當然不服氣，覺得自己是一個挺不錯的作家（大笑），但我也認同他的批評，因為我從來沒想過要像傳統小說那樣說故事。」
「我很認真的思考他的意見，然後決定退後一步，以讀者比較熟悉的傳統白描手法來寫《妻妾成群》。於我來說，這是一場寫作的革命，給我開闢了廣闊的新天地，也為我的寫作生涯創造了更多可能。那時我才明白，進步不一定要向前衝。退後一點，也可以說是另一種進步。」
此外，蘇先生與講座主持嶺南大學中文系黃淑嫻教授及魏艷教授討論了寫作長篇小說和短篇小說（包括近作《河岸》和《黃雀記》）的經驗、他對文化大革命、男性和女性的敘述等議題。
是次公開講座為嶺南大學駐校作家計劃的一部分。駐校作家計劃邀請著名的中文作家教授中文創作，並與嶺大師生及公眾人士分享其寫作經驗。本年度嶺大駐校作家計劃由利銘澤黃瑤璧慈善基金贊助。
Su Tong’s best-known novella Wives and Concubines, adapted by director Zhang Yimou to make the film Raising the Red Lantern, had marked a “revolution” in his writing style. At the Lingnan University Writer-in-residence 2014 public seminar “From Raising the Red Lantern to The Oriole” on 10 April, he told the audience that the change had been triggered by some ridicule of a colleague on his editorial team.
Seen as an avant-garde writer for his early works that are distinctively different from traditional Chinese fiction, Mr Su was working as an editor before he wrote Wives and Concubines. “A colleague of mine didn’t really like my novels and teased me one day, ‘How can people call you a good writer when you can’t even tell a story properly?’ Of course I did think I was a pretty good writer (laugh), but I kind of agreed with him that I never meant to tell a story in the traditional manner,” Mr Su recalled.
"I took his comment seriously, and decided to take a step backward to adopt a simple, straightforward narrative in Wives and Concubines, which seemed more familiar to the reader of traditional Chinese fiction. For me, it was a revolution that opened up a whole new world with more possibilities in my writing. Then I realised that progress doesn’t always mean charging ahead. Taking a step back can also result in some sort of progress."
Mr Su also discussed his experience of writing full-length and short fiction, including his latest works The Boat to Redemption and The Oriole, his narrative of the Cultural Revolution and portrayal of men and women, with moderators Prof Mary Wong Shuk-han and Prof Wei Yan of the Department of Chinese, Lingnan University.
The public seminar was part of Lingnan University’s writer-in-residence programme, which invites renowned Chinese writers to teach creative writing and share writing experience with Lingnan students, staff and members of the public. This year the writer-in-residence programme was sponsored by Drs Richard Charles & Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation.
Language
Putonghua
Recommended Citation
蘇童 (2014，4月10日)。從紅燈籠到黃雀記 [視頻]。檢自 http://commons.ln.edu.hk/videos/86
Additional Information