But We're Still Sisters

German writer and reporter Anne Gesthuysen's debut literary foray But We're Still Sisters, together with another four foreign novels, has won one of the 21st Century Best Foreign Novels of the Year Awards for 2013. [book.sina.com.cn]

With the German title Wir sind doch Schwestern, But We're Still Sisters is a collection of fascinating family stories based on Gesthuysen's three great-aunts, who reached a combined age of 298 years.

In the novel, the three sisters Gertrud, Paula and Katty meet for Gertrud's 100th birthday. Gertrud's eyes are still good, but she neither can nor wants to hear. Paula, 98, can scarcely see anymore, but always has an open ear to lend her sisters. And 84-year-old Katty, the baby of the family, still wants to celebrate every chance she gets.

During the four-day gathering, the three heroines review their life stories spanning the entire 20th century, which also reflect the vicissitudes of life in the Rhine region.

Author Gesthuysen was born in 1969 and grew up in the small town of Veen on the Lower Rhine. She studied journalism and Romance philology. She began working as a reporter and documentary writer for various TV stations, and did a stint with a radio station in France.

For the past 15 years, Gesthuysen has also showed up in front of the cameras. Her longest engagement to date has been on ARD's Morning Show, which she has been hosting since 2004. She now lives with her husband and child in Cologne.

On December 12, 2013, Gesthuysen came to receive the award and share her understanding about literature, arts and life with Chinese readers at the awards ceremony in Beijing.

"I'm glad to receive the honor in China. My three great-aunts were daughters of an ordinary peasant family. They overcame rural hardships, received good educations and lived full lives," said Gesthuysen.

"Gertrud died at 104. Paula, who experienced three centuries, also lived to the age of 104, but Katty died at just 90. They all kept clear heads till the last breath of their lives. They took a great interest in world politics and social life," she said. "I believe, they, in heaven, will be proud that they are known in China."

"I love and admire my three great-aunts. In hard times, they never gave up their ethical values to seek gain for themselves. Meanwhile, I also love their humor and proactive life attitudes," she said.

President of People's Literature Publishing House Guang Shiguang presents the 21st Century Best Foreign Novels of the Year Award for 2013 to German writer Anne Gesthuysen for her debut literary foray  But We're Still Sisters in Beijing on December 12, 2013. [book.sina.com.cn]

The novel's German version was published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch in November 2012 while its Chinese version, translated by Du Xinhua, was released by the People's Literature Publishing House in December, 2013.

Jointly launched by the People's Literature Publishing House and the China Foreign Literature Society in 2002, the annual 21st Century Best Foreign Novels award is China's first award for foreign writers. It aims to recommend excellent foreign novels for translation into Chinese, enable more Chinese to learn about the world and promote cultural exchange between China and foreign countries.

The other four award winners for 2013 are My Lieutenant by Russian writer Daniil Granin, Los sordos (The Deaf) by Guatemalan writer Rodrigo Rey Rosa, Inseparabili (Inseparable) by Italian writer Alessandro Piperno, and Les lisières (The Edges) by French author Olivier Adam.

It's a pity that none of the award's five winners are yet ready to read in English, but most of the authors have other works available.

(Source: book.sina.com.cn and kiwi-verlag.de/Translated and edited by womenofchina.cn)