The press conference of the 2022 Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award in Beijing Photo:Courtesy of the 2022 Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award

The 2022 Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award, a joint China-France cultural event, revealed its finalists on Thursday in Beijing. 

Under categories such as social science and literature, the 10 final books were written by renowned French authors such as Georges Duby and French treasures such as art film director Eric Rohmer. These works were translated by 10 Chinese translators, eight of whom were born in the 1980s and the 1990s.  

The award, which has been held annually since 2009, set a new goal in 2022: to promote more contemporary French literature to Chinese audiences since China is now the biggest buyer of French literature copyrights. 

Dong Qiang, chairman of the committee and dean of the French Department at Peking University, said at the announcement conference that the rise in popularity in China of Annie Ernaux, a female French writer who won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature, and Chinese readers' growing interest in today's French literature encouraged him to further explore the cultural bonds between China and France in the area of language. 

The award was initially founded by the French Embassy in China. It has the main goal of encouraging outstanding Chinese translators, which in2022's case, a majority were women. 

Named after acclaimed Chinese translator of French literature Fu Lei, the award aimed to act as a bridge to promote exchanges between Chinese and French cultures.

The final winner will be announced on November 19 in Beijing.