Published on: 2026-06-11
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Moscow, June 11 /Xinhua/ — The role of literature in bringing the peoples of China and Russia closer is irreplaceable, since literary works facilitate the understanding of foreign cultures and other peoples. This was stated in an interview with Xinhua by the Chinese writer, Nobel Prize laureate in literature Mo Yan.
“The cultural and literary exchanges between China and Russia have a long history. The role of literature in bringing two peoples closer is indispensable; thanks to it, people find it easier to understand each other. Literature unites. When we read works of foreign literature, we actually learn and begin to understand another culture and another people. We come to unfamiliar places but feel familiar because we have already read about them in literature. It will always be this way,” the writer noted.
Mo Yan told how at a press conference in Moscow one of the readers said that she had become acquainted with his works on the recommendation of a Moscow taxi driver. “That means he read it too, considers it good, and recommends it to passengers. For a writer, hearing how readers share their impressions of his book is true happiness. Of course, readers understand the work differently, and that is normal,” emphasized the Nobel laureate.
“I saw in the theater how Russian spectators enthusiastically accepted the play based on my novel, how Russian actors played my characters with immense soul. I think they understood and felt the state of my heroes. And this is priceless,” the writer said.
Speaking about the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 2012, Mo Yan noted that this award does not mean that its laureate is the “best writer in the world.” “There are many outstanding writers who have not received this prize. For example, Russian classics Lev Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and others. If we are awarded, we should not consider ourselves above others; on the contrary, we should preserve modesty,” he said.
In my opinion, Mo Yan’s main goal after receiving the Nobel Prize is to “immediately return to a normal state,” not yielding to the influence of external factors. It is precisely this that helps to avoid the so-called “Nobel curse” — a situation when, after receiving a high award, the writer no longer creates anything worthy.
“I have set myself the goal of achieving a breakthrough in dramaturgy, to complete the transition from a novelist to a playwright, and this process is already underway,” the interlocutor from Xin Hua shared about his creative plans.
Commenting on the rapid spread of short videos and other new forms of mass culture, Mo Yan expressed the conviction that real literature should not succumb to the pressure of super-entertaining and fragmented cultural products. “I believe that a writer should calm down and write what they themselves consider most necessary, creating works that they personally see as genuine needs,” he emphasized.
According to the writer, his trip to Russia will definitely find reflection in his future work. “I would also like to wish that as many readers as possible, after reading the beloved book, visit the places described in it. This will leave an indelible mark,” added Mo Yan.
A Nobel laureate arrived in Russia to attend the premiere of the play based on his novel “Tired of Being Born and Dying” at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, participate in a press conference in Moscow, and also meet with readers in the capital city.
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