The second annual Future Creation Workshop in Chongqing, held October 13-22, featured many improvements over the first workshop. What remained the same was the gathering of aspiring writers from around China to pursue dreams of publishing their work in their home country and the West. This year’s distinguished faculty included Chinese writers Wu Yan, Jiang Bo, Bao Shu, Ling Chen, Cheng Jingbo, and Deng Siyuan as well as international writers Roderick Leeuwenhart from the Netherlands, Leonardo Espinosa Benavides from Chile, and Naomi Kritzer and me (James Patrick Kelly) from the US. I was honored to be the only returning mentor, as the workshop seeks to rotate the cast of Chinese and international teachers. In my second year I could appreciate all the upgrades that were made in bridgi…
The second annual Future Creation Workshop in Chongqing, held October 13-22, featured many improvements over the first workshop. What remained the same was the gathering of aspiring writers from around China to pursue dreams of publishing their work in their home country and the West. This year’s distinguished faculty included Chinese writers Wu Yan, Jiang Bo, Bao Shu, Ling Chen, Cheng Jingbo, and Deng Siyuan as well as international writers Roderick Leeuwenhart from the Netherlands, Leonardo Espinosa Benavides from Chile, and Naomi Kritzer and me (James Patrick Kelly) from the US. I was honored to be the only returning mentor, as the workshop seeks to rotate the cast of Chinese and international teachers. In my second year I could appreciate all the upgrades that were made in bridging the language barrier.
Awards Ceremony: Back (l to r): Bao Shu, Deng Siyuan, Front: Ling Chen, Cheng Jingbo, Roderick Leeuwenhart, Jia Tianke, James Patrick Kelly, Leonardo Espinosa Benavides, Naomi Kritzer
While none of the international teachers spoke Mandarin, five of the Chinese faculty were fluent in English. All lectures in English and Chinese received live AI translation, and all of the student manuscripts were translated by AI and curated by the teaching staff of the Fishing Fortress Science Fiction College. While the international staff relied on professional translators during the workshop sessions, the students were at once patient with us and eager to get our feedback. However, they were disappointed to learn of the policies of some American publishers with regards to AI translation. Several students with English language skills wondered if they could use AI for basic translations of their own stories which they would then refine themselves for possible submission to US markets. We told them that for some markets, this would be a problem.
Naomi Kritzer (table one) and Bo Jiang (table two) teach at workshop
Tuition is free at Future Creation, China’s only independent science fiction writing workshop. Nine hundred students applied, but only 24 were admitted. They travelled to Hechuan to spend a week at the sprawling and vertiginous campus of Chongqing College of Mobile Communication. On the last day, after the critique sessions had concluded, all students had the opportunity to give a report about their stories to a pair of Chinese editors. To this veteran of many a writers’ conference, it looked very much like the ubiquitous American pitch session. That day, the combined faculty also nominated several students for their accomplishments with the “Future Stars” and a “Future Master” receiving cash rewards. Future Master Jia Tianke received 5,000 yuan (about $700).
Opening Ceremony
Plans are already being made for the 2026 Future Creation Workshop. While I am unlikely to return as a teacher, it has been a privilege to participate in this cross-cultural experiment. I’ve learned as much about Chinese science fiction from talking to my Chinese colleagues as I have from reading their works. They write a mighty literature, and we all would do well to continue to pay attention to what they have to say.
–James Patrick Kelly**
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