Flying High by Cao Wenxuan

We welcome Jake Hope, one of the translators of Flying High by Cao Wenxuan, to the blog today to share insights into this picture book!

‘In China, kites are more than just traditional toys; they are symbols of culture. During traditional Chinese festivals, such as Qingming and Mid-Autumn Festival, kite flying is an important activity. Kites not only represent people’s aspirations for freedom but also symbolize health and longevity.’ Yu Rong.

‘Flying High’ is written by Cao Wenxuan, winner of the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award and the first Chinese author to be recognised by the award. The setting for ‘Flying High’ is inspired by the city WeiFang, in Shandong province. A city considered by many to be the birthplace of kites.

The story is inspired by the city called WeiFang. Weifang in Shandong province , China is known as the kite capital of the world as people consider Weifang to be the birthplace of kites. Each spring, people in the city come together to fly kites as a leisure outdoor activity. The designs on many Chinese kites have a symbolic meaning or illustrations from Chinese folklore or history. The story is a profound one about connecting with the environment and communities that surround us and finding our own place in the world despite the individual worries or concerns we might hold.

The book is published by UCLan Publishing who formerly published ‘The Visible Sounds,’ shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for illustration in 2023. It has been translated by Simone-Davina Monnelly. Simone studies Asian Pacific Studies and Mandarin at the University of Central Lancashire. ‘My studies focus on everything you can think of in the Asian Pacific region: history, colonialism, imperialism, international relations and more.’ Simone hopes to work in translation after her degree and was pleased about the opportunity to work on ‘Flying High’. ‘As soon as I saw ‘Flying High,’ I was blown away. The illustrations are beautiful, and the storyline is truly heartfelt. I admired how Wawa (the small blue bird), showed the boy the beauty of how nature has multiple different parts that work together.’

Simone feels that translating stories from across the globe is incredibly important. ‘Translating books allows cultural exchanges which give children the opportunity to learn about different customs, beliefs and ways of life from around the world. It’s also a chance for representation, where children can see characters that reflect their culture or background and promote inclusivity and diversity.’ Simone enjoyed the opportunity to translate the book and hopes to work on future books. After the translation was completed, I worked on the story, talking with illustrator Yu Rong to try to capture some of the lyricism in Cao Wenxuan’s prose and showcase the relationship with her artwork to the fullest, whilst also working with designer-extraordinaire, Becky Chilcott, to make sure the shape and flow of the book worked for the English market. The English language edition of the book is the result of a huge amount of teamwork and expertise. It’s exciting to see the early reviews, reader responses and connections that this special story from China is already eliciting with readers here in the UK.