CULTURE CLUB
Dip into the creative life of Wenyan Lu, writing tutor at Hills Road, as her first novel The Funeral Cryer is released A Cambridge WRITER’S DIARY
When I was little, I wanted to become a writer, but I never tried very hard because I didn’t know what I should write about. Then I moved to the UK with my husband and had more time, because I stopped working when I first came. I had time to think. It took quite a few years to realise what I wanted to write. Now I have a better idea about it, but I’m still exploring! I used to think that the topic of The Funeral Cryer was too much to write about and didn’t really want to touch something so deep down, because that kind of sorrow is – I think in everybody’s mind – a taboo. I had the idea and thought I could write about it, but couldn’t handle it. Who will understand this? It’s a different culture. Then I had a Mexican student who was telling me about the Day of the Dead. In China, we have a similar thing called Sweeping the Tomb, or Clear and Bright, because it’s in spring. It’s more about remembering your ancestors. My Mexican students also told me that they actually have funeral cryers as well. I did quite a lot of research about funeral cryers, because I knew they existed, but I’m from Shanghai – a very big city. I wasn’t quite sure about it. In some remote places in China, there are still quite a lot. I understand my own culture more when I’m not in that country any more. I go back to China once a year for summer. I’m more Chinese when I’m in the UK. I
I spoke to a friend of mine who’s from the region where the book is set. I asked her to describe her village. She left her home over ten years ago, and said a lot of people are still quite poor. It’s called a Western Mud, because it’s on the Western Mud River. I said, what’s in your village, is it beautiful? She said there’s nothing there. Because I am a part-time teacher, I teach during the day and my time every day is kind of different. When I can’t write, I am always writing in my mind. Whatever I’m doing, I’m thinking about it; even if I’m cooking, I just think about the novel. So whenever I have time, I can write a lot. I can’t wait to be able to sit and write. I know some people are too busy to write and they’ve got full-time jobs, but if you really want to you can make it happen. When I was writing this novel, I felt very lucky, I knew what to do. Before I start writing, I don’t make a plan, but I know where it’s going. I have pictures, like a film, in my head – so I just describe the scenes. I won’t let my unpublished novel, The Martyr’s Hymn , go. Before that I had another two, but this and The Funeral Cryer are the only ones written in the first person; I think this is my style. It’s easier for me to tell the story in the first person. I sent The Martyr’s Hymn to a well-known agent, too. He said he really liked it, but thought the market was very niche. Actually, ever since then, the market has been different and more diverse, but we need to get this one done first!
hardly ever express my opinions, possibly down to my upbringing and education. I want myself to be heard, but can’t just go around telling people this is my opinion. I want to use a story to convey it. Because there is not much truth in real life, I want to discover truth in fiction. I want to tell people’s stories from my view, how I perceive stories and human beings. IN MOURNING Wenyan Lu’s novel tells the story of a woman living in a remote Chinese village, who cries at funerals for a living
That kind of sorrow is – I think in everybody’s mind – a taboo
The Funeral Cryer is published on 4 May
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