(August 2, 2014)

Dear colleagues,

Due to health reasons, I am not able to attend this important occasion, but I would like to say a few words through my colleague at Translators Association of China.

I feel deeply honored to be the first Chinese translator to receive the 2014 FIT Aurora Borealis Fiction Award. I take this not only as recognition of my personal work in translation, but also more interest in Chinese literature. I have always taken great pleasure in translating Chinese, English and French literature, and am still translating at the age of 93. I simply love it.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the juries for their hard work and kind words, thank my colleagues at FIT and TAC for their great support. And I wish the 20th FIT Congress every success!

Xu Yuanchong