The emergence, reinforcement, and transcendence of China’s Dongbei in English translations of Shuang Xuetao’s works

The term ‘Neo-Dongbei [Northeast China] writers’, formally proposed in 2019, refers to authors whose works address the mass layoffs in Dongbei during the 1990s and early 2000s. Shuang Xuetao is one such Neo-Dongbei writer, and his work expresses a universal working-class nostalgia through retrospection on the Dongbei region. English translations of Shuang’s works exemplify how literary concepts from a native culture interact with translation and representation in the target culture and how the latter, in turn, enriches the understanding of those concepts. English translations of Shuang’s work began with his exploration of mass layoffs. Seen through the lens of the Neo-Dongbei writer concept, Dongbei, as both a geographical focus and a literary landmark, is reinforced through text selection, naming, and later promotion in Shuang’s English-language anthology debut, Rouge Street. Although the later novellas by Shuang that were translated into English are not set in Dongbei, they were still presented Neo-Dongbei literary works in the paratexts. In this sense, the understanding of Dongbei in English transcends geographical boundaries. Against this background, the present article examines English translations of Shuang’s works and the evolving representation of Dongbei since 2015 in light of Genette Gerald’s paratextual theory, focusing on text selection and paratextual framing. The analysis explores how translators, publishers, and literary agents have shaped the representation of Dongbei in the Anglophone literary market and contributes to discussions on the translation of contemporary Chinese literature and the positioning of rising voices on the global stage.