Two award-winning Australian writers kicked off a China book tour in Beijing Wednesday with the release of Chinese editions of their most recent books.

Well known and highly acclaimed in Australia, Raimond Gaita and Sonya Hartnett attended the book launch, introducing Chinese to attendees to their works.

Gaita's Philosopher's Dog and Hartnett's Of A Boy have been published in Chinese by the People's Literature Publishing House as part of a new initiative to promote Australian literature in China.

Gaita won the 1998 Victorian Premier' Literary Award. The Philosopher's Dog was short-listed for the New South Wales Premier's Award in 2003.

Hartnett won the 2003 Commonwealth Writers Prize in the Southeast Asia & South Pacific region as well as other prizes for Of a Boy.

"These books represent some of Australia's finest writers in their field. With these books, Chinese readers can learn more about modern Australia. Hopefully there will be more cultural exchanges like this between Australia and China," Australian Ambassador to China Alan William Thomas said at the book launch.

Guan Shiguang, editor-in-chief of the People's Literature Publishing House, said that the books would serve as a window for Chinese readers to further understand Australia's history and modern culture.

The two Australian writers are currently in China to participate in the Beijing International Book Fair, which will open Thursday.

Australia will be represented at the Book Fair through the People's Literature Publishing House, which has not only translated the books, but will also manage the book tour. The writers will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan for a series of talks, lectures and presentations on their work.

Wednesday's launch was organized by the People's Literature Publishing House and Australian Embassy in China.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2004)