In October, we posted a piece by Ezra Vogel about his book tour of China for Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, and about the complexity—and importance—of publishing a book that deals with such controversial episodes as the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Incident.
Today, we have a bit more news on the book’s reception in China, where it is published by Sanlian: in addition to having sold 700,000 copies there (and counting), it has received a number of prizes. Some of the most notable have included a ranking on the “Annual Top Ten Best Books” list selected by sina.com, China’s largest and most popular internet portal; sohu.com’s Lu Xun Cultural Prize for the “Best History Book of 2013”; a number-one ranking on the China Publishing Group’s list of recommended books; and the “Biography of the Year” award at the Chinese Book Industry Awards hosted by China Publishers, the leading journal of China’s publishing industry.
Finally, Vogel received the China Book Industry Special Contribution Award given by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television of the People’s Republic of China. Founded in 2005, this government award recognizes distinguished foreign authors, publishers and translators who make special contributions in the fields of introducing, translating and publishing Chinese books and promoting cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world. In accepting that award, Vogel said: “I wrote in English for an American audience. It is a special honor to know that Chinese friends feel that my book has also contributed to the Chinese people’s understanding of Deng and his era.”
