A Faithful Record of the Lisbon Maru Incident - Brian Finch [Translator] - Bookniverse

A Faithful Record of the Lisbon Maru Incident

Brian Finch [Translator]

US $18.46

US $23.08

2017/11

9789888491056

PDF

Proverse Hong Kong

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About this book

歷史 > 亞洲歷史

Translates an original Chinese publication covering an important chapter in Hong Kong’s wartime history, with additional material and commentary. It gives details of the Lisbon Maru Incident of 1942, seen through the eyes of the Chinese fishermen who rescued hundreds of British prisoners of war from Hong Kong, whose ship had been torpedoed. A Faithful Record also recounts the visit to Zhoushan in 2005 of one of the survivors and his emotional reunion with those who saved him. It also describes a visit to Hong Kong in the same year of the last few remaining fishermen who had taken part in the rescue.

About the author(s)

Brian Finch [Translator]

The translator, BRIAN FINCH, was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment in 1960 and served with one of the survivors of the Lisbon Maru, sparking a life-long interest. He saw active service in Malaysia (where he commanded a platoon of Iban head-hunters), and later on peacekeeping duties in Northern Ireland. Following an intensive course in Chinese in Hong Kong he had a posting to the Headquarters staff where at the height of the Cultural Revolution he studied the deployment of Chinese forces along the Hong Kong border. Brian Finch later joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where he used his knowledge of Chinese in support of the negotiations over the future of Hong Kong. His years in Hong Kong led to a close relationship with the Lisbon Maru Association of Hong Kong, and since learning the full story of the courageous Chinese fishermen of Zhoushan who rescued hundreds of British prisoners of war from Hong Kong, including many from the Middlesex Regiment, he has worked closely with the Association to help their work of educating others about the incident, and this inspired him to translate this book. In 2011 he undertook a 117-mile walk from the south coast to the north coast of Devon across Dartmoor and Exmoor to raise funds for the Association. Brian speaks Mandarin Chinese to near-native standard and can get by in Cantonese; he is often mistaken on the telephone for a native Chinese. He reads Chinese in both traditional and simplified characters and writes it with a Chinese word-processor.

About the publisher

Proverse publishes internationally from Hong Kong mainly high quality literary and general titles (novels, novellas, single author short story and poetry collections, poetry anthologies, biography and autobiography), also some travel, sport, young author, mixed genre, educational and academic works, and edited historical source materials. Proverse authors include local and international authors, native speakers of English as well as non-native speakers. Topics and settings vary between local and international. Publication modes are paperback, hardback, ebook and audiobook. Most books are in the English language, including translations into English. A number are in Chinese, and a couple in Italian, a few are bilingual (English/Chinese; English/Italian). Several titles received publication support from Hong Kong Arts Development Council and other cultural bodies in Hong Kong and elsewhere.In 2008, Proverse established theannual international Proverse Prize for unpublished book-length non-fiction, fiction or poetry submitted in English. In 2016, Proverse launched theannual international Proverse Poetry Prize for a single poem submitted in English. Both prizes open for entries no later than 7 May each year (closing date 30 June). Entries to both prizes are invited from anywhere in the world and are open to all over eighteen years old, whatever their nationality, residence or citizenship. Writers and poets from Hong Kong and many countries in the world participate. Winners have been both local and international.Beginning in 2009 and continuing, Proverse organises in central Hong Kong a Spring and an Autumn literary event, open to the public. In recent years, a parallel event, available internationally, is shown on Youtube.Of the titles published by Proverse, several have attracted a Preface or advance appreciation from figures of international reputation. Two Proverse authors have been best sellers, one (Peter Gregoire) in Hong Kong and the other (Nicholas Binge) in Spain.Further informationWebsite: htt[s://www.proversepublishing.comGillian Bickley, ‘The Proverse Prize, Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Vol 59, 2023 Issue 1. https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TKVG8HZSZWX6R4CUJUKM/full?target=10.1080/17449855.2022.2101653Proverse titles page:https://cup.cuhk.edu.hk/ProversehkProverse Autumn Reception 2022 video (3rd edit): https://youtu.be/9L0L0AY6NGQProverse Youtube channel: youtube.com/@ProversePublishing

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