Five questions with Linda Jaivin
Linda Jaivin is the author of twelve books -seven novels and four book-length works of non-fiction. Her most recent novel is The Empress Lover, and her latest book is The Shortest History of China published May 2021, which is quite possibly the only book on Chinese history that acknowledges First Nations Australians. On p.255 she writes: ‘I live and work on the land of the Gadigal people, over which sovereignty has never been ceded. I also wrote some of the book on sovereign Darug and Gundungurra land, at the Varuna Writer’s House.
Linda’s very early works of fiction are also worth mentioning and include – Eat Me, Miles Walker, You’re Dead, and The Infernal Optimist – because they show Linda’s skill in working across genres and themes.
Today we’re yarning about The Shortest History of China.
How on earth do you write the “shortest history” of a country with 3,500 years of written records?
It was a daunting task, but I decided to make it even harder for myself by starting with the mythic creation of the universe and then working my way forwards until I got to the present day – wolf warriors, Covid-19 and all. Naturally, when I was done, I had to cut out tens of thousands of words until it could credibly be called The Shortest History of China. I was still determined to get all the fun stuff in – the great novels, the brilliant weirdos, the palace intrigues, Tang dynasty makeup trends, that kind of thing. One trick I used was to find one fabulous example of a larger phenomenon or trend – so in talking about the polymorphously corrupt eunuchs of the Ming dynasty, I only go into detail about the loot acquired by one, which included two solid-gold suits of armour, 4,162 jade belts and bushels of gemstones. There are lots of controversies in Chinese history, some of which have been argued about for thousands of years, such as that around the legacy of Confucius – with these I mention the controversy and briefly sum up the main positions. It’s my hope that readers will be inspired to read and learn more about the subject – there’s plenty to learn!
You quote a lot of poetry in The Shortest History of China, which is something we don’t see a lot in history books – what does poetry tell us about China and its history?
Poetry is such an essential part of Chinese culture, and many poems offer brilliant insights into bigger events. You can read about people fleeing a violent rebellion in ancient times and understand it on an intellectual level. But when you read a poem in which the poet describes sleeping under trees, his infant daughter biting him in her hunger and the confused bravery of his little son as for “Ten days, half in rain and thunder, through mud and slime we pulled each other on”, it hits you in the heart. One of China’s most ancient books (compiled between the 11th and 7th centuries BCE) is the Book of Odes, which includes many folk songs, including some that satirise the ruling classes. So poetry is a window that gives an intimate glimpse into lived experience. Besides, so much of it is so beautiful that, well, how could you leave it out?
Tell us about the women you write about – they play a larger role in your book than in most general short histories.
They certainly do! When I started researching this book, there were women I already knew about and wanted to include, like the warrior Sun Ren, whose one hundred sword-wielding handmaidens caused the king she married to quake every time he entered her bedroom, and some of the feisty feminists of the early twentieth century. But I also wanted to include those whose tend to be overlooked: the historians, inventors, diplomats and scientists… it was hard not to include them all but, you know, shortest history and all that.
How important is at least knowing a little bit about the Chinese language to understanding China as a whole?
The Chinese language is a pillar of the civilisation. In the book, I describe how it works (very differently from alphabetic languages) and its evolution, including the process by which the national language – Putonghua – was created. I consider learning Chinese one of the best decisions I ever made in my life and hope the book inspires some readers to take the plunge as well. Hard, but worth it.
What can Chinese history tell us about China today?
So much! There are themes that run through Chinese history which resonate today: the fear that corruption will weaken the state, the obsession with unity and stability, and the question of how to achieve a peaceful and orderly succession from one ruler to another, for example. Once you become aware of it, you can also recognise how important the telling of history is to the Communist Party of China’s claim on legitimacy, and why it censors and punishes historians who question the party line. The final chapter of the book highlights some of these echoes and controversies and enduring themes.
To find out more about Linda head to her website and / or follow her on Instagram .
Bookshops where you can find Linda’s work includes Gleebooks , Potts Point Bookshop , Avid Reader , and Asia Book Room .
And drop a question in the comment box about The Shortest History of China or a line about your favourite Linda Jaivin novel.
