Ma Ainong stands by a historically accurate recreation of the Anne of Green Gables puffed sleeve dress.

Drew Penner

It was more than 20 years ago that Ma Ainong read her first work of Canadian fiction: Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved novel Anne of Green Gables.

Though she finished translating the book into Chinese in 1987, she’s been longing to visit Canada ever since.

“I have cherished a dream,” she says, “to visit Canada, the place of Green Gables.”

Ma, who most recently translated the Harry Potter series (or, Hali Bote as it’s known in China), has been appointed the international research associate at Ryerson’s Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre.

“Her role is not just to translate word for word, but to translate different cultures in a way,”  said Irene Gammel, chair of the centre. “She communicates something to Chinese readers about Canadian ways of living and values.”

After Ma completed the original translation of Anne of Green Gables, many Chinese writers were inspired to publish their own translations of the series.

Over the years Ma, senior editor and director of foreign literature at the People’s Literature Publishing House in Beijing, developed a keen interest in Canadian literature.

She is also known for her work translating Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

Having arrived in Canada just days ago to begin her nine-month term at Ryerson, Ma says she is excited to start translating Montgomery’s Emily trilogy.

Mark Lovewell, former chair of Ryerson’s English department, said Ma’s arrival enhances Ryerson’s international profile, something government officials expect of Ontario universities as they call for a significant increase in international student enrolment.

“Her innovative work on the internationally known Canadian author L. M. Montgomery provides one avenue, among many others, for Ryerson to showcase its groundbreaking research in literary studies to a global audience,” said  Lovewell.

Ma has translated over 35 books from English into Chinese, including more than 20 children’s books.

She will spend her days researching Canadian literary greats such as Margaret Atwood, David Adams Richards, Tim Wynne-Jones, Alice Munro, and Gordon Korman, in hopes of popularizing the artists back in her homeland of China.

Ma is most excited, however, to visit Prince Edward Island, the setting of Anne of Green Gables  and birthplace of Montgomery.