British Library adds Chinese online novels to collection

Recently, 16 Chinese online novels have been added to the collection of the British Library, including My Heroic Husband, The Era of the Earth, The First Order, Great Doctor Ling Ran, The Wisdom of Great Song Dynasty and Great Power, Heavy Industry. Covering themes of science fiction, history, reality and fantasy, these works are considered the classics of Chinese online literature from the past 20 years.

One of the largest research libraries in the world, the British Library houses more than 170 million items, including the cultural relics of different civilizations from throughout history.

The library usually selects works based on their popularity or by considering an item's value. Readers can check the information about the 16 books on the library's website, and borrow printed copies.

As one of the current pillars of mass cultural consumption, which began with "fastfood" romances, fantasies and mysteries (enjoyable to consume, but not intellectually nutritious), the Chinese online literature industry has quickly matured during its fast development over the last two decades.

In recent years, it has received increasing acknowledgment from home and abroad. In 2019, 10 online novels, including Great Power, Heavy Industry, were added to the collection of the Shanghai Library, and between 2020 and 2022, 144 online novels like Battle Through the Heavens and Lord of Mysteries were entered into the collection of the National Library of China.

"It's a surprise to me that online fiction can be added to the collection of a foreign library. When my novel entered the collection of the National Library of China, I was very happy. It's a milestone for my creation. Today, when I heard the British Library is collecting Chinese online literature, I'm happy for online literature. It feels like the path of online novel writing is becoming ever wider," she adds.

Good Spring Time focuses on Chinese porcelain culture, conveying a spirit that encourages people to fight against fate sedulously, and depicts women's independence, as well as the love and care among family members. Readers can see a splendid, elegant China through the tradition, romance, friendship, struggles and beauty described in the novel.

Zhang Huan (Happiness in Palm) by Dongtiandeliuye (online pen name) tells a story about love and gourmet food in ancient times. The author created a representative female protagonist who was tough and intelligent, facing up to hardships with courage, perseverance and optimism.

"I hope through this novel, overseas readers can get a glimpse of the power and beauty of Chinese women, and can experience the charm of Chinese food culture," the writer says.

Great Power, Heavy Industry tells of how China's manufacturing industries have grown stronger in recent decades, and foreign readers can learn about the Chinese system and culture behind the country's swift economic development, getting to know China better in the process, the author, whose online pen name is Qicheng, says.

In recent years, Chinese online literature has attracted an increasing number of readers from overseas. One of the largest online literature platforms, China Literature Group has authorized the digital and print copyrights of more than 800 online novels to overseas markets.

China Literature's international portal Webnovel, established in 2017, has seen nearly 100 million readers access its library of more than 2,600 translated works. Additionally, more than 300,000 writers from around the world have created over 420,000 original works online.

The online novels, such as Qing Yu Nian (Joy of Life), Tiansheng Changge (The Rise of Phoenixes) and Quan Zhi Gaoshou (The King's Avatar), and their TV drama adaptations are popular among overseas audiences.

首次！大英图书馆收录16部中国网文，含《赘婿》、《画春光》……

近日，大英图书馆收录了16部中国网络文学作品，包括《赘婿》、《地球纪元》、《第一序列》、《大医凌然》、《大宋的智慧》、《大国重工》等。这些作品涉及科幻、历史、现实和奇幻等多个题材，涵盖了中国网络文学20年来的经典之作。

大英图书馆是全球最大的学术图书馆之一，藏品总数超过1.7亿件，其中包括不同文明时期的历史文物。

大英图书馆会根据读者需求和书籍本身价值贡献等来选择收藏作品。读者可以在图书馆网站上查阅这16本图书的信息并借阅纸质版。

作为当前主要的大众文化消费内容之一，中国网络文学产业起始于“快餐式”爱情故事、奇幻和推理作品（娱乐性强但缺乏文学价值），在经历了20年的飞速发展后，迅速成熟壮大。

近年来，网络文学越来越受到国内外的重视。2019年《大国重工》等10部网络文学作品入藏上海图书馆，2020至2022年间《诡秘之主》、《斗破苍穹》等144部网络文学作品入藏国家图书馆。

“没想到网络文学竟然也能够被外国图书馆收录。在这之前，我的作品被国家图书馆永久典藏，那时觉得非常开心，觉得它对个人来说是一个里程碑，我很珍惜那份荣誉。那么今天，得到这个消息，我意外的同时也为网络文学开心，有一种道路越走越宽这种感觉。”

《画春光》围绕中国瓷器文化，描绘了女性的独立以及家庭的温暖，传递了一种与命运抗争到底的精神。小说中对传统文化、爱情友谊、斗争和美学的描写呈现出一个隽永典雅的中国。

《掌欢》是一部关于古代爱情和美食的作品。作者冬天的柳叶（网络笔名）塑造了一位坚强、聪明勇敢、坚毅乐观的女性角色。

冬天的柳叶说：“希望通过故事让海外读者了解中国女性的力量与美好，感受中华饮食文化的魅力。”

《大国重工》讲述了近几十年来中国工业化由弱变强的历程，作者齐橙（网络笔名）称，外国读者可以了解中国崛起背后的制度密码和文化精神，能够更深入了解中国。

近年来，中国网络文学吸引了越来越多的海外读者。作为最大的网络文学平台之一，阅文集团已向海外市场授权800多部网络文学作品的数字和实体出版。

该集团旗下海外门户网站起点国际成立于2017年，访问用户累计约1亿，拥有2600多部被翻译的中文小说。此外，另有近30万海外作者创作了约42万部原创小说。

《庆余年》、《天盛长歌》、《全职高手》等网络小说及其改编电视作品在海外受到欢迎。

n. 收集，收取，聚集，收藏品，募捐联想记忆 protagonist[prəu'tægənist]

n. 主演，主角，主唱者 consume[kən'sju:m]

v. 消耗，花费，挥霍联想记忆 independence[.indi'pendəns]

n. 独立，自主，自立 milestone['mailstəun]

n. 里程碑 popularity[.pɔpju'læriti]

n. 普及，流行，名望，受欢迎联想记忆 established[is'tæbliʃt]

adj. 已被确认的，确定的，建立的，制定的 动词est optimism['ɔptimizəm]

n. 乐观，乐观主义联想记忆 acknowledgment[ək'nɔlidʒmənt]

n. 承认，承认书，感谢 =acknowledgemen intelligent[in'telidʒənt]

adj. 聪明的，智能的