Break Out S2 (2): Anastassis Vistonitis (Greece), Wang Jiaxin (China) and Qian Yingchao (China)

Anastassis Vistonitis (Greece) was born in Komotini, Northern Greece. He studied Political Sciences and Economics in Athens, and Philosophy in Thessaloniki. From 1996 to 2001, he was a board member of the E.W.C. (The Federation of European Writers) and 2 years later, he became the Vice-president. Vistonitis has published 12 books of poetry, 4 volumes of essays, 5 travelogues, a book of short stories and a book of translations of the Chinese poet, Li He. Vistonitis was the General Editor of the candidature file of Athens for the Olympic Games of 2004. His writings have been translated into 20 languages and he was a writer for the leading Greek newspaper To Vima, whilst living in Athens.

Wang Jiaxin is a poet, essayist, critic and translator. He was born in 1957 in Hubei Province. In 1978, he enrolled in Wuhan University, studying Chinese literature. 7 years later, he moved to Beijing and began working as an editor for the journal Poetry. Since 2006, he has been a Professor of Literature at Renmin University of China. Wang Jiaxin is one of China’s most eminent contemporary poets. He is highly regarded not only for his poetry, but also for his essays, criticism and translations. Jiaxin has been frequently invited to attend the international literary festivals and hold readings in many countries. A collection of his poems: Dämmerung auf Gotland, translated by Wolfgang Kubin, published in Austria in 2011; Nachgereichte Gedichte (A Late Dedication), translated by Wolfgang Kubin, published in Austria in 2017; Night Train, translated by Miroslav Kirin, published in Croatia in 2017; Een asgrauwe dageraad, translated by Silvia Marijnissen, published in Holland in 2021. Furthermore, his collection of poems in English, titled Darkening Mirror, New & Selected Poems, translated by Diana Shi & George O’Connell, foreword by Robert Hass, was published in the US in 2017.

Qian Yingchao is a lecturer and Head of Greek Department in the School of European Languages and Cultures of Beijing Foreign Studies University. She graduated from Shanghai International Studies University and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. From there, Yingchao continued pursuing her studies as a PhD candidate of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Since 2016, she has been working in Beijing Foreign Studies University, focusing on her priority research areas of modern Greece and Sino-Greek relations. Her work consists of: Heroes’ world-Homeric Hymns, translation One child counts the stars.