Carnival of Animals: Xi Xi’ s Animal Poems (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition)

Most of Xi Xi’s animal poems featured here are new works written during the past few years. Full of whimsical ideas, they embody the notion of “all humans are siblings, and all things are companions,” brimming with warmth and compassion. These poems could be described as bright and cheerful, approachable, clever and fluid, humourous, and deep with meaning, written as though the author is able to directly communicate with animals. Overall, they serve as a voice for animals, showing that they are able to coexist equally and peacefully, resulting in a “carnival of animals.” More than twenty young Hong Kong artists and illustrators have been invited to join this project, with each poem accompanied by different illustrations, their styles of illustration totally distinct, not limited to any particular form, presenting multiple heterogeneities. Reading Xi Xi’s poetry and seeing the artists’ interpretations, coupled with the reader’s own imagination and understanding, results in a polyphony of various voices—this is how literature and art should be. Xi Xi’s works are widely read throughout the Sinophone world and have won numerous awards. She is the first Sinophone Hong Kong writer to win a major international poetry prize, including the Newman Prize for Chinese Literature in the United States and the Cikada Prize in Sweden. This poetry collection follows in the footsteps of her unique books The Teddy Bear Chronicles and Chronicles of Apes and Monkeys, demonstrating another kind of animal writing. This book is suitable for young readers, as well as adults who appreciate literature and art.