Asian Publishers Week
Participant
Zhang Chen
Country : China
Company : Yilin Press
Job Title : Editor
E-mail : zhangchen@yilin.com
Work Experience in Publishing
I am a Russian literature editor with four years of experience in the publishing industry. My responsibilities include market research, topic planning, manuscript solicitation, content organization, text polishing and processing, as well as post-publication marketing efforts.
I have independently planned and edited classic works of Russian literature, including titles by authors such as Tols-toy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Pasternak, and Paustovsky. I have also worked on English classics, such as The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Finnegans Wake, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Additionally, I have edited academic works like A History of Russian Thought and Tolstoy Studies Collections. I collaborate closely with authors and translators to ensure that the translated versions are not only accurate but also faithfully capture the essence of the original works.
I have published numerous book reviews on various websites and new media platforms. I have also planned and hosted several book salons and discussion events, inviting writers, translators, teachers, and scholars to discuss books and share reading experiences with audiences, all aimed at enhancing the visibility and influence of the publications.
Current Projects
I am currently conducting market research and topic planning for Thoreau’s works: A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, The Maine Woods, and Cape Cod. I am researching the existing editions of these three works currently on the market and exploring what unique features our company’s edition could offer.
In addition, I am editing the forthcoming novel Netochka Nezvanova by Dostoevsky.
Main Interest
Russian Classical Literature, Modern and Contemporary Korean Literature, Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Literature, and Modern and Contemporary Literature from Hong Kong and Taiwan, China.
Experience Related to This Year’s Topic
I have conducted research on topics related to Central Asian literature, such as The White Ship and The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years by the Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov. Central Asian literature is an underexplored treasure trove, waiting to be discovered by us.
What would you like to discuss related to this year’s topic?
I would like to discuss the most popular Korean authors and their works in China in recent years.
Please name any Korean writers, books and publishing companies that you are familiar with.
Writers and books:
Han Kang: The Vegetarian, Human Acts and The White Book.
Cho Nam-joo: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.
Shin Kyung-sook: Please Look After Mom.
Kim Young-ha: I Have the Right to Destroy Myself.
Publishing companies:
Munhak Dongne，Changbi Publishers，Vintage Books Korea
Your reasons for applying to the Asian Publishers Week 2025.
I hope to exchange insights with outstanding publishing colleagues from various Asian countries, learn about the current trends in the publishing industry, and explore new potential topics.
Your Company Profile Yilin Press
Company Name: Yilin Press
Company Address: Building A, 1 Hunan Road, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China.
Number of Employees: 228
Specialty: Foreign Literature, Education, Chinese Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences
Company Profile (in approximately 300 words):
Founded in 1988, Yilin Press, Ltd is one of the few professional translation publishers in China. Presently its publications include translations of foreign literature and social sciences, bilingual dictionaries, foreign language textbooks and references, academic treatises on foreign literature and linguistics, as well as contemporary Chinese culture and literature. With its professional editors and qualified translators of English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian, Yilin Press, Ltd publishes over 800 titles every year. Yilin Press, Ltd also publishes translations of Chinese fiction and non-fiction books in English and some other languages. Yilin Press, Ltd is a frequent winner of various book awards, book design awards and printing quality awards.
Since its founding, Yilin Press, Ltd has been committed to introducing “first-class writers, first-class works through first-class translations”. It stresses culture building by introducing world classics and contemporary works to Chinese readers. Yilin Press, Ltd will maintain its advantage as a professional translation publisher, enhance its international cooperation, and present Chinese readers and foreign readers with the best and latest works.