Fairness of prize in doubt

This year's Lu Xun Literature Prize for poetry was given to an unknown professor from Sichuan University whose poems, critics say, are poorly composed. It would be a shameful development for Chinese literature if it is found that corruption was behind the decision of the award's committee, says an article in Huashang Daily. Excerpts:

The announcement of this year's award was followed by widespread criticism in the media, with many questioning the fairness of the award committee's decision. The poems composed by the winner read like unsophisticated limericks, forcing people to wonder whether the award was manipulated.

The works of some famous authors got the short shrift in the evaluation process. For example, a novel by A Lai, winner of the Mao Dun Literature Award, did not get even a single vote.

National awards bring fame and increase the income of writers. And some of the winners have used them to approach local education departments to make arrangements for lecture tours in schools, which boost the sales of their books. The awards have thus become a tool to create new channels of profit.

In an article, Liang Heng, former deputy chief editor of People's Daily, has raised doubts that the prize is manipulated by administrative power. A literary award is like a piece of meat to be shared by authors, Liang has said, and everyone waits his/her turn to get a bite.

The violation of fair and objective standards has compromised the credibility of the prize. Awards become pointless if they are given to people who can pull strings and bribe their way to glory. To restore public trust in the literary award, authorities should investigate whether the evaluation process of the Lu Xun Literature Prize was fair or not, and bring the guilty, if any foul play is detected, to book.

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