The opening forum of the Shanghai International Literary Week 2019 was held in Shanghai Jic Bookstore on August 13. Poets, writers and scholars from home and abroad shared their understanding of “homeland”.

A screen shows the scholars attending the Shanghai International Literary Week 2019. [Photo by Zheng Qian/ Eastday]

For Japanese writer Mitsuyo Kakuta, the reading world is her homeland. "I loved reading from a young age, and when I open a book, I feel that my little body has entered the world of books. One book, one world. I have the world I have read in my body. Even not having to open the pages of the book, I can return to my homeland again and again,” said Kakuta.

In the view of British writer Simon Forty, homeland is not a country. He cited the example of his writing of more than 20 military history books including The Normandy Battlefields to illustrate that through writing about long-covered battlefields, he has saved places which define who we are. This is a very important concept of homeland.”

Simon Forty, British writer, gives a speech at the opening forum of the Shanghai International Literary Week 2019. [Photo by Zheng Qian/ Eastday]

As an important part of the Shanghai Book Fair, the Shanghai International Literary Week has had an increasingly broad international influence among Chinese and foreign writers, scholars, publishers and media workers. This year’s 7-day Literary Week will hold an array of events such as literary dialogues, new book launches, and reader exchanges.