Mo Yan promotes Chinese literature

Chinese writer Jia Pingwa was named on the same day as the first stay-on-campus writer of the center. The Shaanxi-based author says he's planning to move to the capital for a while to create and share his literary thoughts.

The opening of the writing center also offered an opportunity for Chinese authors to assess Chinese literature and its place in the world.

At a forum on "Chinese literature going global" at BNU, writers, critics and researchers all agreed that the center offers a starting point for Chinese writers to embrace the world.

Chen Fumin, with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Zhang Ning, with BNU, believes that Chinese literature is already an important part of the world literary scene.

Veteran critic Meng Fanhua points out "going global" means more acceptance from the Western mainstream.

"Mo Yan's Nobel win is an indicator of Chinese literature being recognized by the West," Meng says.

But Mo Yan says he'd rather not refer to his winning as an indicator.

"I'm a writer who's no different from other writers, who happened to get extra public attention because of random factors," he says. "I have said this and would like to repeat: There are many Chinese writers who deserve the prize other than me."

During the event in Peking University, Mo Yan and 91-year-old Yang shared their views on fame.

Yang said he felt "different" accepting the Nobel physics prize in 1957, being a Chinese-American among the majority of Westerners. Mo Yan joked that he suddenly felt like a subject of scientific research.

"All I was doing there at the Stockholm ceremony was observing people," he says.

The two discussed a wide range of topics including religion, style, nationality, talents and the China dream.

Mo Yan believes that Chinese literature has already reached a broad spectrum of the international audience.

"After decades of opening up, Chinese literature has achieved a lot. And it's the right time for us to strive to promote its influence outside," he says.

"The real indicator for me is when there are more international readers who read Chinese literature and are able to sympathize with Chinese writing from deep down, and whose souls become more beautiful after reading our works."

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