The sixth living library was held at WHU library on April 23rd on the World Reading Day. The activity, originating in Denmark at the initiative of five young men who founded the Organization ‘Stop the Violence’, aims at providing readers with living book services to learn about people’s real-life experiences and feelings which could not be vividly put on paper. WHU library successfully held the Living Library five times in a row, making it a popular activity among teachers and students. In the sixth session, three outstanding yet distinctive WHU students were invited to take part in a presentation called ‘Willfully Loving Books', where they shared their favorite books and stories with the rest of the participants.
Rosen Girl -Xu Chengyu
Xu Chengyu, a girl from the School of Information Management, was the first to present her story. Not only does she get high grades and awards throughout her major, but she is also a book-lover and traveler. “Books bring happiness to me” she said as she went on to explain how books fulfilled her curiosity and pursuit of freedom. Xu recommended a book named The Golden Rose, a book she perceived as the way to live, write, read and eternalize precious moments. When reading, she appreciates the pure beauty, pays attention to details and records inspirational words or phrases. She later shared her feelings on traveling. For her, travelling is a windfall of life, as the saying goes, “You can either travel or read, but either your body or soul must be on the way.”
Running man-Wu Zhifei
“I am a scientific research man and running man from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences”, Wu Zhifei introduced himself with characteristic self-mockery when he got on stage. “Run for health, run for fun, run for the sake of running,” were the three main reasons behind his enthusiasm for jogging. He said you only need a pair of running shoes to get started. It’s just easy and available for everyone. However, when running becomes an indispensable part of life, it may give people more. Wu recommended a book called What I Talk about, When I Talk about Running, written by a world-famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, who is also a jogger. In the book, the author wrote that, “A marathon is like a mini life”, a sentence with which Wu emotionally resonated. Running on sports ground, jogging around campus with members of WHU Running Club, and participating in full marathon race, Wu uses his footsteps to measure the earth and sweats to write his youth.
Language Fairy-Fu Duanling
Fu Duanling, from the Department of Translation and Interpretation, delivered her presentation in fluent English, displaying her outstanding professional competency. Granted with numerous titles such as the WHU Fengyun student, Fu Duanling talked about her experience learning English. The well-known novel, Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, was her first English book which brought a new language and a different world to her. She has a habit of reciting classic sentences and dialogues from her favorite English books and movies to appreciate the beauty of this foreign language . Stepping into WHU, Fu Duanling started a new chapter in her life. With the faith of making a difference here, she dedicated herself to the English Debate Team and took the lead in bringing back its past glory. At present, she is also the leader of the Wuhan University Interpretation Team, a team made of students from different universities in Wuhan. Passionate about intercultural communication, she also went to DKU and HKU for an exchange semester where she learned to look at the world from a brand new angle. As she said “Don’t underestimate the impact of any person, book, or even on you. Someday, it may be your turning point.” Graduating this coming June, Fu Duanling has accepted an offer from Peking University for graduate study and the opportunity to continue pursuing her dream.
(Photo by Yueran Pan, Edited by Yuerao, Diana & Sijia Hu)
