Presentation:
Cultural Sino-Latin American Relations: Between Poetry and Diplomacy

Dr. Bárbara Fernández Melleda

14 Oct 2020 (Wed)
2:00-3:00pm

This presentation will focus on diplomatic relations between Chile and China from a cultural perspective. For this purpose, I will delve into the times Nobel Prize Laureate Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) visited China and became close with the Chinese literary and artistic scene in the 1950s, particularly with Chinese poet Ai Ching (1910-1966). This relationship settled the basis for a cultural understanding between Chile and China that lasts until today. I will also engage with more recent examples from the legacy of both poets’ deep friendship in the unveiling of Neruda’s bust in Beijing, Ai Ching’s son, artist Ai Weiwei, who painted a mural in Neruda’s honour in the city of Valparaíso in 2013, and the latest volume of the Neruda Foundation’s magazine, which focused on 20 contemporary Chinese poets presented in both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese languages.

Bio:
Dr. Bárbara Fernández Melleda is Assistant Professor in Latin American Studies at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. Her current work focuses on the study of contemporary Chilean literature, civic activism and the demise of neoliberalism in Chile.

The talk will be conducted via Zoom at https://hku.zoom.us/j/92654437901

All are welcome. No registration is required.

For enquiries, please contact Ms Evelyn Lo via evelynlo@hku.hk