From Beijing the issue is not so clear cut. The official delegation consists of some of the country's most popular authors. Examples include Internet sensation Annie Baobei, whose soulful, sad short stories are bestsellers; Man Asian Literary Prize winner Bi Feiyu; and the audacious, upcoming author A Yi, who writes dark tales about the countryside. All three deserve to be lauded - even if their journey to London is sponsored by the Chinese state.

What is clear is that censorship has a caustic relationship to creativity. China is now commanding the world's attention as an economic superpower. Its literature, however, flags behind its political clout. Censorship, it appears, is keeping the country's best writers in chains.