Julia Lovell

Last updated

Julia Lovell FBA (born 1975) is a British scholar, author, and translator whose non-fiction books focus on China. Lovell is professor of Modern Chinese History and Literature at Birkbeck, University of London. Her works on the Opium Wars (The Opium Wars: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China) and Maoism (Maoism: A Global History) were widely reviewed. Her translations include works by Lu Xun, Han Shaogong, Eileen Chang and others.

Contents

Life and career

Lovell was born in 1975 in Carlisle. [1] Her parents were teachers who encouraged her to study foreign languages. [1] She decided to study Chinese after reading Jung Chang's book Wild Swans , which her mother lent her. [1] Lovell completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. [2] She is an alumna of the Hopkins–Nanjing Center.

Lovell is professor of Modern Chinese History and Literature at Birkbeck, University of London, where her research has been focused principally on the relationship between culture (specifically, literature, architecture, historiography and sport) and modern Chinese nation-building. [3]

Lovell's books include The Politics of Cultural Capital: China's Quest for a Nobel Prize in Literature (University of Hawaii Press, 2006), The Great Wall: China Against the World 1000 BC – AD 2000 (Atlantic Books, 2006), [4] The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China (Picador, 2011) and Maoism: A Global History (Random House, 2019).

Lovell is also a literary translator; her translations include works by Lu Xun, Han Shaogong, Eileen Chang and Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen's book I Love Dollars and Other Stories of China, which Lovell translated, was a finalist for the Kiriyama Prize in 2008. [5] Her book The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China won the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. It was the first non-fiction book to win the prize. [6]

She was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2010 in the category of Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern History. These prizes are given to young scholars who have made a significant contribution to their field. [7]

Lovell has written articles about China for The Guardian , The Times , The Economist and The Times Literary Supplement . [8]

She is married to author Robert Macfarlane. [9]

Reception

The Opium Wars

Lovell's book The Opium Wars: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China was widely reviewed in both scholarly journals and the press. Matthew W. Mosca, writing in the Journal of Asian Studies , wrote that the Opium War had "once ranked among the most studied events in Chinese history", but interest had notably declined. Lovell, he said, suggested that there were still holes in English language coverage and that Chinese scholarly and popular interest in the war has, if anything, grown. Lovell, he concludes, "is certainly correct that the Opium War, as an event in the round, has been curiously neglected in Western scholarship" and hers is "the only book-length general history of the conflict in English by an author directly consulting both Chinese and Western sources." He noted that the book devoted much space to explaining how 20th-century politics, especially under the Nationalist Party government of Chiang Kai-shek, used these events to build patriotic sentiment. [10]

Oxford University professor Rana Mitter wrote in The Guardian that Lovell's book "is part of a trend in understanding the British empire and China's role in it," and that the "sense of an unfolding tragedy, explicable but inexorable, runs through the book, making it a gripping read as well as an important one." [11] A reviewer in The Economist commented: "Julia Lovell's excellent new book explores why this period of history is so emotionally important for the Chinese" and "more importantly” explains “how China turned the Opium Wars into a founding myth of its struggle for modernity." [12]

Maoism: A Global History

Lovelll's 2019 history of Maoism (Maoism: A Global History) was widely reviewed. [13] Writing in the New York Times, Ian Johnson praised it as the first comprehensive, accessible history of the subject. [14] A review by Andrew J. Nathan in Foreign Affairs praised Lovell's writing but argued that she overstated Mao's global influence: "Mao often served as a symbol for activists who did things their own way, including the Black Panthers in the United States and the Shining Path in Peru." [15]

A broadly negative review in the socialist magazine Jacobin similarly argued that Lovell overstated Mao's influence, but concluded that the book could be used as a resource for leftists "to better understand our history — even the ugly parts." [16] A review in the US Marine Corps' Journal of Advanced Military Studies praised the book for filling a gap in the literature, stating that "A thorough understanding of Maoism’s philosophical underpinnings and legacy has become increasingly salient to the American military professional." [17] A lengthy review by Julian Gewirtz in Harper's concluded, "Lovell’s history underscores just how difficult it is to export a political idea wholesale, whether that idea is Maoism or the rule of law." [18]

Translations

Jeffrey Wasserstrom wrote in Time that Lovell's translation of the works of Lu Xun "could be considered the most significant Penguin Classic ever published." [19]

Awards and honours

Selected works

Translations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lu Xun</span> Chinese novelist and essayist (1881–1936)

Lu Xun, born Zhou Zhangshou, was a Chinese writer, literary critic, lecturer, and state servant. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. Writing in vernacular and Literary Chinese, he was a short story writer, editor, translator, literary critic, essayist, poet, and designer. In the 1930s, he became the titular head of the League of Left-Wing Writers in Shanghai during republican-era China (1912–1949).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opium Wars</span> 19th-century conflicts between China and European powers

The Opium Wars were two conflicts waged between China and Western powers during the mid-19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Lewycka</span> British novelist of Ukrainian origin (born 1946)

Marina Lewycka is a British novelist of Ukrainian origin.

Yishan, courtesy name Jingxuan, was a Manchu lesser noble and official of the Qing dynasty. He is best known for his failure to defend Guangzhou (Canton) from British forces during the First Opium War, and for signing the treaties of Kulja and Aigun with the Russian Empire in 1851 and 1858 respectively.

Ge Fei is the pen name of novelist Liu Yong (刘勇), considered by many scholars and critics to be one of the most significant of the Chinese avant-garde writers that rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Woesler</span>

Martin Woesler is a German sinologist, cultural scientist and translator of Chinese literature.

Mark Thompson is a British historian. The most recent of his four books is Birth Certificate: The Story of Danilo Kis (2013), which was described by Adam Thirlwell, in a lead review in the Times Literary Supplement, as "a great biography of the work as much as the life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cundill History Prize</span> History writing award

The Cundill History Prize is an annual Canadian book prize for "the best history writing in English". It was established in 2008 by Peter Cundill and is administered by McGill University. The prize encourages "informed public debate through the wider dissemination of history writing to new audiences around the world" and is awarded to an author whose book, published in the past year, demonstrates "historical scholarship, originality, literary quality and broad appeal". No restrictions are set on the topic of the book or the nationality of the author, and English translations are permitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Dikötter</span> Dutch historian (born 1961)

Frank Dikötter is a Dutch historian who specialises in modern China. Dikötter has been Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong since 2006. In Patient Zero (2003) and Narcotic Culture (2004), Dikötter argued that the impact of the prohibition of opium on the Chinese people led to greater harm than the effects of the drug itself. Dikötter is the author of The People's Trilogy, which consists of Mao's Great Famine (2010), The Tragedy of Liberation (2013), and The Cultural Revolution (2016), providing an overview of Communist-led China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huang Juezi</span>

Huang Juezi (1793 – 1853) was a Chinese Qing dynasty scholar and civil servant and a fervent opponent of the opium trade. His 1838 official memorial to the Daoguang Emperor detailing the problems caused by opium helped lead to the appointment of Lin Zexu as Imperial Commissioner responsible for tackling the opium problem, a move that would ultimately result in the First Opium War with Great Britain.

<i>Congo: The Epic History of a People</i> 2010 book by David Van Reybrouck

Congo: The Epic History of a People is a 639 page non-fiction book by David Van Reybrouck, first published in 2010. It describes the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the prehistory until the present, with the main focus on the period from the Belgian colonisation until the book's release. The book was originally published by De Bezige Bij on 3 May 2010. By the end of 2012 it had sold over 300,000 copies in Dutch. Its English version was translated by Sam Garrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gods and demons fiction</span> Subgenre of Chinese fantasy fiction

Gods and demons fiction or Shenmo fiction is a subgenre of Chinese fantasy fiction that revolves around the deities, immortals, demons and monsters of Chinese mythology. The term shenmo xiaoshuo, coined in the early 20th century by the writer and literary historian Lu Xun, literally means "gods and demons novel". Representative works of shenmo fiction include the novels Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delia Jarrett-Macauley</span> British writer, academic and broadcaster

Delia Jarrett-Macauley, also known as Dee Jarrett-Macauley, is a London-based British writer, academic and broadcaster of Sierra Leonean heritage. Her debut novel, Moses, Citizen & Me, won the 2006 Orwell Prize for political writing, the first novel to have been awarded the prize. She has devised and presented features on BBC Radio, as well as being a participant in a range of programmes. As a multi-disciplinary scholar in history, literature and cultural politics, she has taught at Leeds University, Birkbeck, University of London, and other educational establishments, most recently as a fellow in English at the University of Warwick. She is also a business and arts consultant, specialising in organisation development.

Chi-chen Wang was a Chinese-born American literary scholar and translator. He taught as a professor at Columbia University from 1929 until his retirement in 1965.

Yu Jian, born 1954, is a Chinese poet, writer and documentary film director. He is a major figure among "The Third Generation Poets" that came after the Misty Poetry movement of the early 1980s. His work has been translated into Bulgarian, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Danish, and Japanese.

Stephen R. Platt is an American historian and writer. He is currently a professor of Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

<i>Imperial Twilight</i> History book by Stephen R. Platt

Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age is a history book by Stephen R. Platt relating the events during the lead-up to the First Opium War of 1839–1842. The book was well-received by critics, who were generally supportive of the conclusions Platt reached in the book.

Preti Taneja FRSL is a British writer, screenwriter and educator. She is currently professor of world literature and creative writing at Newcastle University. Her first novel, We That Are Young, won the Desmond Elliott Prize and was shortlisted for several awards, including the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Prix Jan Michalski, and the Shakti Bhatt Prize. In 2005, a film she co-wrote was shortlisted for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Taneja's second book, Aftermath, is an account of the 2019 London Bridge terror attack, and describes her knowledge of the victims, as well as her experience having previously taught the perpetrator of the attacks in a prison education programme. It won the Gordon Burn Prize for 2022.

<i>Babel, or the Necessity of Violence</i> 2022 novel by R. F. Kuang

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 novel of speculative fiction by R. F. Kuang set in 1830s England. Thematically similar to The Poppy War (2018–20), Kuang's first book series, the book criticizes British imperialism and capitalism, and the complicity of academia in perpetuating and enabling them.

<i>Kingdom of Characters</i> 2022 book on Chinese language by Jing Tsu

Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution that Made China Modern is a nonfiction book written by Taiwanese-American professor Jing Tsu. First published in January 2022, the book comprises seven chapters, each highlighting innovators in the modernization of the Chinese language. It was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and received nominations for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, and the Cundill History Prize.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Interview with Julia Lovell
  2. ↑ https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/julia-lovell
  3. ↑ "Professor Julia Lovell — Department of History, Classics and Archaeology, Birkbeck, University of London". Birkbeck, University of London . Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  4. ↑ Abrahamsen, Eric (22 October 2015). "Julia Lovell". Paper-republic.org. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Finalists". The Kiriyama Prize. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  6. 1 2 "The Jan Michalski Prize for Literature 2012".
  7. 1 2 "Awards made in 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Penguin Classics". Penguin Classics. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  9. ↑ Grey, Tobias (28 May 2019). "Robert Macfarlane and the Dark Side of Nature Writing (Published 2019)". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Mosca, Matthew W. (2015). "The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China. By Julia Lovell". The Journal of Asian Studies. 74 (2): 472–474. doi:10.1017/S0021911815000212. S2CID   163366425.
  11. ↑ Mitter, Rana (2 September 2011). "The Opium War (A review)". The Guardian .
  12. ↑ "Be Careful What you Wish For". The Economist . 29 October 2011.
  13. ↑ Reviews:
  14. ↑ Johnson, Ian (3 September 2019). "Around the World With Mao Zedong" – via NYTimes.com.
  15. ↑ "A Review of "Maoism: A Global History" by Julia Lovell | Foreign Affairs". www.foreignaffairs.com. 10 December 2019.
  16. ↑ "Maoism and Its Complicated Legacy". jacobin.com.
  17. ↑ Tung, David T. (5 January 2024). "Maoism: A Global History By Julia Lovell (review)". Journal of Advanced Military Studies. 15 (1): 232–234 – via Project MUSE.
  18. ↑ "To Rebel Is Justified, by Julian Gewirtz".
  19. ↑ "China's Orwell". Time . 7 December 2009. p. 174.
  20. ↑ "Dr Julia Lovell". University of London website. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  21. ↑ "Cundill Prize in History at McGill 2012 long list". McGill Newsroom. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  22. ↑ "Le Prix Jan Michalski 2012 attribué à Julia Lovell". Le Temps (in French). 22 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Orwell Prize 2012 Shortlists Announced". The Orwell Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  24. ↑ "Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist revealed | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  25. ↑ "British scholar Julia Lovell wins McGill-run history prize for book on Maoism". www.citynews1130.com. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  26. ↑ "New Fellows 2019" (PDF). The British Academy . Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  27. ↑ "Orwell Prize Longlists for Political Writing and Political Fiction 2020". The Orwell Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  28. ↑ Van Fleet, John Darwin (31 January 2021). "Monkey King (Review)". Asian Review of Books. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  29. ↑ Wasserstrom, Jeffrey (10 December 2020). "Julia Lovell on the Monkey King's Travels Across Borders: A Conversation". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 18 February 2021.[ permanent dead link ]
  30. ↑ Review my Minjie Chen, 'A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell’s Translation of “Monkey King”' in the Los Angeles Review of Books , 5 Oct 2021 https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-chinese-classic-journeys-to-the-west-julia-lovells-translation-of-monkey-king/ Retrieved 5 Oct 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.