LONDON, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The British Library and Yuewen have launched a landmark three-year collaboration, Literature in the Digital Age, to enhance cultural exchange between the UK and China and promote the co-creation of new cultural IP. In parallel to this exciting project, ten popular online novels by Chinese authors have been donated to the British Library, the national library of the UK, in printed format, documenting the increasingly popular cultural trend of internet literature in China.
The three-year collaboration includes a programme for Yuewen writers to see some of the iconic items in the British Library’s collection, attend creative workshops, and engage in co-creation digital campaigns with readers to blend Yuewen IP with English literature works in the British Library.
The new collaboration was announced in a launch event exploring literature in the digital age at the British Library last night with representatives from the British Library and Yuewen, along with renowned Yuewen author Yan ZK and Richard Pooley, Director of the Conan Doyle Estate and step-grandson of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
New campaigns and activities for readers were also launched at the event that combine Lord of Mysteries, a top-ranked fantasy that has amassed over 47 million views on WebNovel, with iconic works from the British Library’s collection including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, offering an immersive exploration of the rich, shared world of classic and contemporary storytelling.
Jas Rai, Chief Operating Officer of the British Library, highlighted “this collaboration with Yuewen is an exciting journey for us, one that underscores our mission to make our collection accessible and relevant to new audiences around the world. We’re excited for what’s to come as this project unfolds and connects literature lovers across continents.”
All these works were originally published on Yuewen’s digital platforms. In 2017, Yuewen launched its international platform, WebNovel, now hosting 650,000 original works by 430,000 contributors from around the world. Hou Xiaonan, CEO and President of Yuewen, revealed that in the UK alone, WebNovel has attracted 16,000 contributors and over 6.83 million visitors to date, with annual readership growing by nearly 30%—a testament to the growing cultural impact of internet literature in the UK.
As internet literature gains mainstream popularity, particularly among Gen Z, it has become a thriving commercial market, with Yuewen releasing adaptations of successful titles into films, dramas, games, and animations. A prime example is My Vampire System by UK-based author JKSManga, which has been translated into six languages and adapted into audiobook and comic versions.
“These works show the world the creative energy coming from younger generations in China,” noted Hou Xiaonan. “By having some of these works in the British Library collection, it will help UK readers and researchers better understand modern Chinese culture, while also introducing the web novel model to the UK contributors which provides access to a vast new readership and significant opportunities for IP expansion and global influence.”
About Yuewen
Yuewen (China Literature Limited) is a culture and entertainment group focused on developing intellectual property (IP) derived from online literature. Yuewen has a diverse portfolio of well-known brands, such as QQ Reading, Qidian, New Classics Media, and Tencent Animation & Comics. It serves as a platform for tens of millions of creators with a rich reserve of literary works, audiobooks, animation, comics, films, drama series, games, and merchandise.
Media Contact
Jing Zhang
ywpr@yuewen.com
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