`Wenhsun' holds awards, exhibition

Fifth annual May Fourth Literary Prize winners * Chu An-min, Literature Editing * A-sheng, Literature Education * Liao Ping-hui, Literary Criticism * Chen Shin-yuan, Literary Activities * Tang Chuan, Youth Literature * Pan Jen-mu, Literature Contribution

KMT-funded monthly literary Wenhsun (文訊) magazine, held its fifth May Fourth Literary Prize awards yesterday, awarding literary editors, critics and promoters celebrating its 20th birthday by holding "The 2003 Taiwan Literary Magazine Exhibition."

"The purpose of these awards is to pay tribute to the May Fourth Movement, promoting its reflective and creative spirit, and to commend those who have devoted themselves to the literary field for a long time and made substantial contributions," said Feng Te-ping (封德屏), the magazine's chief editor.

At the awards ceremony, Chu An-min (初安民), a long-time editor serving the major local literary magazine United Literature (聯合文學), received the Literature Editing Award; A-sheng (阿盛), who hosts a major writers' school, won the Literature Education Award; Liao Ping-hui (廖炳惠), a renowned literary critic, took home the Literary Critics Award; Chen Shin-yuan (陳信元), a scholar pushing exchanges between China and Taiwan, obtained the Literary Activities Award; Tang Chuan (唐捐), an established poet, received the Youth Literature Award and Pan Jen-mu (潘人木), long-time children literature promoter, picked up the Literature Contribution Award.

The May Fourth Movement happened on May 4, 1919 in China just eight years after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. The movement's leaders were well-known intellectuals such as Hu Shi (胡適) promoting democracy, science and vernacular Chinese. The movement has had a profound influence on modern Chinese culture and literature.

Many eminent literary figures graced the occasion yesterday, including poet Yang Mu (楊牧) and human-rights activist Po Yang (柏楊). The ceremony was originally to take place on May 4, but it was rescheduled because of the SARS outbreak.

Meanwhile, the exhibition is displaying some 300 literary magazines published in Taiwan in the past 88 years, including the first vernacular literary magazine Jen-Jen (人人, meaning "everyone"), heavyweight 60s and 70s poetry magazine Lan Hsing (藍星, meaning "blue star"), and Wen Hsueh Jen (文學人, meaning "the literatus"), which was published in May.

"It is our 20th anniversary, and we really want to hold a meaningful activity," Feng said. With the help of KMT Party History Center's (黨史館) archive, and several collectors' generosity in lending the Wenhsun some precious historical magazines, one of the best literary magazine exhibitions in recent years was given the green light.

The exhibition will be on display from July 12 to 20 at Taipei Public Library's Main Library, from July 25 to August 10 at Taichung's Wen-ying Building (文英館), and from August 22 to 31 at Taoyuan's World Trade Exhibition Center.