Storie cinesi per l’infanzia globale. Uno sguardo al fenomeno Cao Wenxuan

My contribution aims to provide an overview of the "Cao Wenxuan phenomenon” and its implications for the building of a “China narrative”. First, I will attempt to pinpoint the ideological and intellectual background, as well as the nature of China's editorial policies, which drove the international promotion of the works of the celebrated Chinese author of children's and young adult literature. To do so, I will outline the dynamics of artistic and cultural promotion that led Cao to be identified as the "spokesman" of national children's literature and the ideal candidate for export. I will also briefly touch upon the publishing mechanisms that led to the translation and publication of some of his works, as well as their consecration by the Andersen Prize awarded to Cao in 2016. Secondly - and more importantly -, in order to identity the characteristics and relevance of Cao’s works against the background of China's self-representation strategies addressed to a global audience, I will focus on the image(s) of China that his translated works conjure with regard to the Chinese history, culture, society, and value systems (e.g. views of gender roles, family relationships, institutional education, individual character development). I will specifically investigate the overt and covert ideological implications of the dissemination of Cao’s works in translation and, ultimately, I will seek to assess in which ways and to which extent the national image that Cao’s works convey is embedded in the discourse of self-narration promoted by the Chinese officialdom.