Nonfiction and Graphic Novels to Take Center Stage in the New Literary Era

Bill Weydig | Dec 25, 2018 5:00 pm | Add a comment | 2107 reads

At first glance, this year could be viewed in many ways as unexceptional, yet the first thing that struck us from conducting these interviews for The Year From Every Angle is that by and large 2018 was a year of progress.

The positivity and hope displayed among these seemingly disparate endeavors, including art, activism, mental health, and even the leisure pursuits have arisen from communities quietly coalescing around a number of shared and strengthening goals and beliefs. Though some of those objectives fell afoul of the authorities, advancements over the last 12 months have laid a solid groundwork for what looks to be a fine year ahead.

Before we gaze forward, however, it’s time to read back on Beijing’s 2018 from (nearly) every angle.

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Name: Simon Shieh

Title: Director, InkBeat Arts; Editor-in-Chief, Spittoon Literary Magazine
2018 in 5 words: WeChat Poetry, Handmaid’s Tale, Power

2018 was a seismic year for literature and the arts in Beijing, and with its award-winning literary quarterly, new comics publication, and related Spittunes live music performances, the Spittoon art collective has certainly registered on the local cultural Richter scale.

According to Editor-in-Chief Simon Shieh, the past 12 months have been something of a watershed for the organization: “[Our] Spittunes events, which involve collaborations between poets and musicians, help people connect with poetry in new and exciting ways … I’m also proud of Spittoon Literary Magazine’s fourth issue, which marks an important shift to publishing only contemporary Chinese writers in translation.” In particular, Shieh cites the impact of Spittoon founder and director Matthew Byrne: “[He’s] worked tirelessly since 2015 to build a community around literature and art in China.” He also credits the international editorial collective NüVoices and Jing Yuan, founder of the Writing Mothers Project, for their significant contributions to China’s literary landscape.

As director of Inkbeat Arts, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering youth interested in the arts, Shieh also runs creative workshops for high school students. “Anyone who has forgotten the power of writing and art to heal and help make sense of the world should pick up a copy of the InkBeat Youth Journal,” he says. “I feel privileged to witness how these practices have helped teenagers through difficult times.” In 2019, he predicts nonfiction and comics/graphic novels gaining popularity, noting that both forms are smartphone-friendly. “Something about a story being ‘true’ makes it so much more compelling” he says of nonfiction, whereas “comics are an obvious hit,” referencing CUE, Spittoon’s latest publication, which branches out to storytelling via a comic format. These are just a few of the highlights that have seen Beijing’s literary scene reach new heights; with passionate figures like Shieh expanding their purview, we can expect to hear even more from the Spittoon collective.