Post 70s Generation

Post 70s Generation is a literary critical term in Chinese contemporary literature, which refers to the new generation of writers who were born after 1970 in China. In some criticism these writers have also been described as the 'Post Cultural Revolution Generation', or 'Post Maoism Generation' as they grew up after Mao's death.

This concept firstly appeared in Shanghai's literary magazine 'Fiction World'(小说界) in 1996, as a column for young writers born after 1970 (whom were still in early 20s at that time), and then it was widely used in literary criticism from 1990s to early 21st century in China, until the 'Post 80s Generation' emerged soon after.

The well known Post 70s writers include Mian Mian, Wei Hui, Zhou Jieru, Yilin Zhong, Shen Haobo(poet), Ding Tian, Wang Ai, Wei Wei, Dai Lai, Li Shijiang(poet), Jin Renshun, Zhu Wenying, Wu Ang(poet), Yin Lichuan(poet), Sheng Keyi, Ma Yi, Zhao bo, Jia Zhangke(film maker), Xiaolu Guo(film maker), and Xie Youshun(literary critic), etc.

The iconic groups of Post 70s Generation include: 1, Beauty writers(refers to women writers only), 2, Lower body poets(refers to a poem style), and 3, The 6th Generation(refers to film makers).

There was a famous event in 2000 while the 'Beauty writers' had become a popular concept in Chinese media. When Wei Hui published her novel 'Shanghai Baby' in 1999, one of her very good friends, Shanghai born writer Mian Mian released an essay with title 'Wei Hui has Not plagiarized my work', saying that she was shocked that Wei Hui's fiction plagiarized her work and she even called her to ask about this, then Wei Hui answered her: 'I didn't copy your words one by one.(我没有拿着你的小说一个字一个字地抄。)'

This caused a massive argument between Wei Hui and Mian Mian, and then later other post 70 generation writers Zhou Jieru, Yilin Zhong, and Wei wei, etc., were involved into this incident too (regarding whether Wei plagiarized Mian or not). Afterword, this controversy was totally overwhelmed by all newspapers' reports based on each side's different views and arguments, ‘beauty writers' debate' led millions of comments online by mass people, and in public it was like a mass media's carnival. Rapidly this scandal became one of the most famous debates in 2000 and consequently pushed Wei Hui's book 'Shanghai Baby' to be a bestseller in China (later internationally bestseller).

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Wikipedia