HKU Bulletin April 2010 (Vol. 11 No. 2)

46 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin 47 April 2010 HKU PRESS PUBLISHES NEWLY-DISCOVERED MANUSCRIPT by eileen chang The English-language novel by the Chinese literary sensation throws fresh light on her early years in Shanghai. Books The Fall of the Pagoda , a semi-autobio- graphical work about a young girl, Lute, growing up amongst her extended family in Shanghai, was launched by HKU Press in April, 47 years after it was first penned. Written in English, it is the first of a two- part series and a precursor to Chang’s semi-autobiographical novel Little Reunion , published in 2009. The second novel in the series, The Book of Change , will be launched by HKU Press in September of this year, the month that marks Chang’s 90th birthday and the 15th anniversary of her death. At the launch, co-hosted by HKU Press and the University’s Project for Public Culture of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC), Publisher, Mr Michael Duckworth said, “This day would not be possible without the extraordinary dedicated stewardship of Dr Roland Soong (photo on left page). I think we are all agreed that this is a triumphant moment for the Press and a special thanks goes to our friends at the JMSC, Ying Chan, Valentina Ma and Matthew Leung, who have all done terrific work to make this day possible.” The manuscripts of both novels were discovered by Dr Soong, executor of Eileen Chang’s estate, in a box of her papers at his parent’s Hong Kong home. Speaking of the discovery, Dr Soong said, “Eileen Chang frequently asked my father to screen her work and offer feedback. Although she was confident in her literary ability she was frequently unsure as to whether her work would cause offence, or raise political problems, so my father read her work. “When she passed away, in 1995, my parents became trustees of her estate and the executor of her will sent us a box of her papers. We just put them away. Then when I moved back to Hong Kong from the United States I began to go through the papers. “The box contained many letters between her and friends and my family, and I also found two 400-page manuscripts.” After much work the first of those two manuscripts has been brought to public attention for the first time. Written in 1963 it represents Eileen Chang’s attempt to break into the American literary market. Speaking of the reason for publishing the manuscripts Dr Soong said, “There are two reasons. First, I determined from her correspondence with my parents that she really wanted to publish these two books in her lifetime, she wanted them to be the launching pad of an English-based writing career in America. However, no publisher took her on. In her letters she never said these novels were ‘bad’ she never said she didn’t want them published.” “She may have been told that there was no market for them but that is not to say that an American public at that time, or today, would not like them if they were published, or that a Chinese audience would not like them today.” “HKU Press has given her the opportunity to have these books published for the first time. This has been her known wish since 1963, and I am sure she would be pleased if she were here today with us.” “The second reason is that the Fall of the Pagoda is not just a rehash of Eileen Chang’s Chinese writings. This book will provide new insight into her personal life. Eileen Chang has often said that the best material for a writer comes from her personal life because this is what she knows best, therefore she came back repeatedly to write about her childhood.” Dr Soong, also donated a photocopy of the manuscript of The Fall of the Pagoda and Long River to HKU, while Perry Lam, Editorial Director of Muse magazine, shared his views on her literary writing. “Eileen Chang,” he said, “has a quote for everything, every single moment of happiness or despair. Now if Shakespeare invented the human for the western reader, then Eileen Chang discovered the consciousness for the modern Chinese reader.” “She is now recognized as one of the greatest modern Chinese writers and The Fall of the Pagoda serves as a reminder of what an incomparable writer she is in Chinese. Those of us who can read Eileen Chang in her own language should be eternally grateful. She has no peer as a short story writer, or an essayist, in Chinese. Now, with this chance to see Eileen Chang in a new light, to see her writing in English, we may have a better comparative point of view of her legacy and importance.” At the launch, at HKU’s Main Library, the first Eileen Chang Memorial Scholarship recipient, Xue Jun-yan of the Faculty of Arts thanked Dr Soong for establishing the $1 million Fund, for Mainland and Taiwanese students of the Arts and Humanities, in Chang’s memory. The Fall of the Pagoda is published by Hong Kong University Press. Roland Soong