General Preface 1

I am pleased to introduce this important collection of Australian literature translated by Li Yao.

The 40 ^th anniversary of Li Yao’s career as a translator is a timely occasion to revisit some of Australia’s great literary works.

Thanks to Li Yao’s unwavering commitment to translating Australian literature into Chinese, works by Alexis Wright, Patrick White, Thomas Keneally, and Colleen McCullough, among others, will continue to delight readers in China.We can see in this collection the uniqueness of Indigenous stories and writing that reflects Australia as a contemporary, diverse society.

The breadth of this collection and the interest in China in Li Yao’s translation of Australian works reflect both the richness of Australian literature and the depth of the ties between Australia and China.

The publication coincides with the 45 ^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and China in December 1972,providing an opportunity to celebrate what has already been achieved and to consider how we can further enrich each other’s societies, including through literary exchange.

The many partnerships between authors, translators, editors, publishers and readers that have made this collection a reality form an important part of the great fabric of the Australia-China relationship,

I congratulate the Editorial Board, in particular Professors Sun Youzhong,Zhang Haifeng and Li Jianjun; Beijing Foreign Studies University, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Western Sydney University and the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, as well as the publisher of the collection,Qingdao Publishing Group.

I am sure these stories will continue to inspire interest in Australia and in Australian literature in China.

Jan Adams Ao PSM
November, 2017