Jin Ping Mei, recognized as one of the great works in the history of Chinese literature, revolves around the corrupt merchant Ximeng Qing and his six wives and concubines.
In the first complete English translation from 1939, the most erotic passages were translated into Latin. The title has been translated into English as The Golden Lotus and Plum in the Golden Vase, while a recent Danish translation by Vibeke Børdahl was published under the title Jin Ping Mei: i vers og prosa.
Program
- Jin Ping Mei – Erotic or Obscene? A short introduction to the translation of Jin Ping Mei to European Languanges, including Danish by senior researcher, Ph.D., Dr. Phil. Vibeke Børdahl.
- Four Hundred Years of Censorship. About Jin Ping Mei as a forbidden book in China by professor emerita Marja Kaikkonen, Stockholm University.
- Censorship and translation. A conversation with Vibeke Børdahl, Marja Kaikkonen and Øystein Kleiven, academic librarian and subject specialist in Chinese studies at the University Library.
The event is open to all! Welcome!
About Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week Norway takes place from October 6 to 12, 2025. Banned Books Week is commemorated each year in several countries to highlight issues of censorship, free speech, and democracy, as well as to celebrate the freedom to read. In Norway, Banned Books Week is coordinated by the University Library in Oslo, in collaboration with Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Library Association, with support from UiO:Democracy and Fritt Ord.