Amos Oz, the well-known Israeli writer and novelist, took part in the launch ceremony for the Chinese version of his book Scenes from Village Life in Beijing on June 24.

As the most important contemporary writer in Israel, Oz shot to fame in his twenties with the Hebrew novel My Michael.

Amos Oz takes part in the launch ceremony for the Chinese version of his book Scenes from Village Life in Beijing on June 24.

Published in 2009, Scenes from Village Life is widely regarded as his best work since the 2004 memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, and has been translated into more than 10 languages. Since its English edition was published in 2011, it has been selected among the 10 Best Short Stories by The Guardian and100 Notable Books by The New York Times.

Inspired by the image of a bleak village that came to him in a dream, Oz created the story under the backdrop of a century-old village, offering an unsettling glimpse of what goes on beneath the surface of everyday life.

The Chinese edition, published by Yilin Press, was translated by Zhong Zhiqing, a Hebrew expert at the foreign literature research institution of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The cover of Scenes from Village Life's Chinese edition

Yilin Press began publishing Oz's works in 1990s, including works such as My Michael, To Know a Woman, Panther in the Basement, Story Begins: Essays on Literature, A Tale of Love and Darkness and Suddenly in the Depth of the Forest.

His autobiography A Tale of Love and Darkness, which depicts the hardships of the Hebrew nation and the birth of the State of Israel, is often recognized as his best work.

The book crowned him the winner of the Goethe Prize in 2015 and the Prince of Asturias Award in Literature in 2007 and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Mo Yan, Chinese Nobel Laureate for Literature said that the book is as tolerant and honest as the Bible.

During an interview, Oz highly praised Yilin's efforts which have made his works popular among so many Chinese readers.