‘I needed to step out of the spotlight’: why Chinese Nobel Literature Prize winner Mo Yan is ready to start writing again
After five hectic years since winning the award, the renowned novelist explains why he has decided to scale down his public profile and return to his desk
After years of juggling speaking engagements and public commitments since winning the Nobel Literature Prize, Chinese writer Mo Yan now says it is time to get back to his writing desk.
Speaking in Hong Kong the 63-year-old novelist explained that he had gradually stepped away from the Nobel spotlight and learned to largely ignore the public’s high expectations, comparing himself to an athlete who needs to unwind to perform well in a major competition.
“Some athletes perform well in regular races, but they can’t compete at their best during international sport events, such as the Olympics,” he said.
“To some degree, it also applies to writers. When you are under lots of pressure and demand more from yourself, it’s not good for writing.”
After a five-year hiatus, Mo started publishing some short stories and poems in Chinese literature magazines late last year, although most of these works had been written before he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 and he only recently polished them up for publication.
Mo is the only Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Gao Xingjian, who was born in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, in 1940, won the prize in 2000, three years after becoming a French citizen.
