True Love or Best Friend? Queer Girlhood in Chinese Young Adult Literature.
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| Title: | True Love or Best Friend? Queer Girlhood in Chinese Young Adult Literature. |
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| Authors: | Xiang, Lidong1 lix58@pitt.edu |
| Source: | Children's Literature in Education. Sep2025, Vol. 56 Issue 3, p430-445. 16p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Censorship, *Young adult literature, Queer theory, Expression (Philosophy), Chinese literature, Girls in literature |
| Abstract: | Most scholars discussing censorship in children's and Young Adult (YA) literature emphasize its repressive function in silencing discussions of taboo topics and the voices of marginalized groups. Illuminated by newer conceptions of censorship, this article explores how censorship not only suppresses explicit content but also encourages subtle and new forms of expression that enable challenging themes to reach readers. Drawing on two editions of Huang Chunhua's YA fiction, She Once Was a True Love of Mine (2014) to She Was My Best Friend (2021), and an interview with editor Liang Yufeng, the article demonstrates how prohibitive practices in Chinese publishing shaped the representation of queer girlhood. While censorship demanded compromises in the explicit portrayal of sensitive topics, it also provoked resistance, fostering efforts to preserve the representation and recognition of these themes. The transition from the 2014 edition to the 2021 edition illustrates this tension. By subtly coding controversial subjects, authors and editors can ensure that stories of queer identity remain accessible to young readers, even in restrictive cultural contexts. Challenged by censorship, the continuity of queer narratives in Huang's 2021 edition points to the resilience of marginalized voices in navigating and subverting censorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Most scholars discussing censorship in children's and Young Adult (YA) literature emphasize its repressive function in silencing discussions of taboo topics and the voices of marginalized groups. Illuminated by newer conceptions of censorship, this article explores how censorship not only suppresses explicit content but also encourages subtle and new forms of expression that enable challenging themes to reach readers. Drawing on two editions of Huang Chunhua's YA fiction, She Once Was a True Love of Mine (2014) to She Was My Best Friend (2021), and an interview with editor Liang Yufeng, the article demonstrates how prohibitive practices in Chinese publishing shaped the representation of queer girlhood. While censorship demanded compromises in the explicit portrayal of sensitive topics, it also provoked resistance, fostering efforts to preserve the representation and recognition of these themes. The transition from the 2014 edition to the 2021 edition illustrates this tension. By subtly coding controversial subjects, authors and editors can ensure that stories of queer identity remain accessible to young readers, even in restrictive cultural contexts. Challenged by censorship, the continuity of queer narratives in Huang's 2021 edition points to the resilience of marginalized voices in navigating and subverting censorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00456713 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10583-025-09624-z |
