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Four Years in the Making

On Saturday November 12th, 2016, the first issue of the Spittoon Literary Magazine launched at Ballhouse pub. The magazine team had struggled for months — finding a designer, sorting cover design, costs, curation, printing. Nobody on the team had done anything like it before.

Three years later, Issue 5 was ready. The publication had evolved from a community magazine publishing Beijing-based writers in English and Chinese into a dedicated journal of contemporary Chinese writing in English translation — one of the most significant editorial pivots in Spittoon’s history.

The Story of the Magazine

Interview with Editor-in-Chief Simon Shieh and Managing Editor Xiao Yue Shan

On the magazine’s evolution: “Spittoon Literary Magazine started as a community publication in 2016, publishing Beijing-based writers in English and Chinese. Since we released Issue 4 in 2018, SLM has narrowed its focus to seeking out, translating, and publishing contemporary Chinese writers for an international, English-language audience. In narrowing its focus, SLM has significantly broadened its reach and impact, with readers all over the world looking to us for new and exciting Chinese writing.” — Simon Shieh

On the Mission

On foreign interest in Chinese literature: “The significance of our mission — making contemporary Chinese writing accessible to a Western audience — cannot be overstated. The volatile nature of China’s relationship with many Western countries has led to a distortion of China’s image in their media. We seek to change that by giving a platform to some of the country’s most eloquently human voices.” — Simon Shieh

“Global literature is a cause. It is an absolutely necessary movement forward to propel human existence forward. Literature is amongst the most precious cultural products a nation can offer. It is my hope that Spittoon is a publication that actively combats the forces that discourage communion between China and the rest of the world.”
— Xiao Yue Shan

On Translation

On the translation process: “The translation process of Spittoon is a little unique in that we have a multi-pronged process that often leads to fascinating dialogues and exchanges between not only two, but three or even five different people. For the poetry in this issue, we paired up a native Chinese writer with a native English writer, and the two of them then worked their magic. The translation is then forwarded to our Translation Editor, Stephen Nashef, who goes through and really nails down the various inconsistencies and nuances.” — Xiao Yue Shan

Issue 5 Launch Event

Sunday June 16th, 2019. Ballhouse pub, Beijing. Doors at 2pm. 45 RMB entry including a free copy of the magazine.

The launch featured readings from Issue 5 with live painting interpretation by artist and photographer 9 Shang. Readers included Sophie 昨非, Jennifer Fossenbell, Ana Padilla Fornieles, and Jack Calder, presenting work by 臧棣 Zang Di, 陈先发 Chen Xianfa, Xing Ya, 陈志炜 Chen Zhiwei, and Jack Calder.

Zine Fair

The launch also featured a zine fair celebrating Beijing’s independent publishing scene, with contributors including MISSIONARY Magazine and CUE — Chinese Urban Expression, Spittoon’s bilingual comic book series commissioning young Chinese artists to create original graphic narratives exploring urban Chinese life.

Originally published June 2019 on the Spittoon WeChat channel.