Mo Yan

莫言

Our new Nobel laureate! As of October 11, 2012, Mo Yan is the first Chinese author living inside China without French citizenship and accepted by the Chinese government to win the Nobel prize for literature.

Mo Yan, more than any other Chinese author, is well represented in foreign languages around the world. And with good reason – he is one of the great novelistic masters of modern Chinese literature, with a long list of ambitious novels to his name. His writing is powerful, visual, and broad, dipping into history, fantasy and absurdity to tell stories of China and its people – many have seen the influence of Gabriel García Márquez in his writing. Originally counted a part of the "root-seeking" literary movement of the 80s, it quckly became clear that Mo Yan had a style and voice all his own. He is often regarded as the Chinese writer with the most potential to appeal to an international audience.

Winner of the Mao Dun Prize 2011 for 《蛙》"Frog".