Global scholars celebrated in Beijing

Fifteen writers, translators and publishers from 12 countries received honors at the 19th Special Book Awards of China in Beijing on June 16, the highest award in the Chinese publishing industry for foreign recipients.

This year's recipients represented multiple countries and professional backgrounds, including veteran Sinologists, international publishers, promoters of China-Arab cultural exchange and young practitioners of international communication.

Among the recipients is US Sinologist Edward L Shaughnessy, who has been dedicated to the study of pre-Qin history, paleography, excavated texts and the Confucian classics. His publications include Sources of Western Zhou History: Inscribed Bronze Vessels; The Origin and Early Development of the Zhou Changes; Before Confucius: Studies in the Creation of the Chinese Classics; and Rewriting Early Chinese Texts. He also coedited The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and English Translations, and The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC.

In his acceptance speech, Shaughnessy recollected his early experience of studying ancient Chinese classics under the supervision of distinguished Chinese scholars more than 50 years ago in China. It was at the start of "the Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology". Since then, Chinese archaeologists have unearthed hundreds more sites with ancient texts of all types, from oracle-bone inscriptions and inscribed bronze vessels of the Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c. 11th century-256 BC) dynasties to thousands and even tens of thousands more manuscripts from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), but increasingly also from the still earlier Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

"It has been the blessing of my lifetime not only to have seen these newly unearthed materials, but also to have been privileged to become friends with Chinese scholars such as Zhang Zhenglang, Zhu Dexi, Li Xueqin, Qiu Xigui, and too many others to be mentioned here, who have welcomed me to join them in their work to make them intelligible to others, both in China and abroad," he said in his acceptance speech.

"And it is a very great honor for me today to receive this special book award, and to be able to represent the other awardees in thanking the organizing committee for making this special day possible," he said.