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Chinese and Australian writ- ers alike recently gathered in Beijing for the 2nd ChinaAustralia Literary Forum at the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature， with the fitting theme “Litera- ture and Inclusiveness.” Writers from both countries shared feelings on topics such as tradition versus modernity in literature and cultural inclusiveness. In particular， speeches by Nobel laureates Mo Yan and J.M. Coetzee on the significance of the honor attracted the greatest attention.
What does the Nobel Prize mean for writers？
In the eyes of Chinese writer Mo Yan， the Nobel Prize places literature at the center of global attention for a time. “Every time literature has almost been forgotten by the world， the Nobel Prize pops up as a reminder，” he joked. “It also has the power to transform a relatively unknown writer into a globally celebrated figure. Even those who seldom read will buy books by a Nobel laureate.” Mo added that the Prize cannot change the literary and aesthetic values of the winner’s work.
Mo admitted that the Nobel Prize in Literature brought him greater fame. However， since he won， he has been invited to so many events that he rarely finds time to sit down and write anymore. “A writer better remain in solitude，” he opined. “Only in this way， can he watch the world around him calmly， gain insight into society， and create better novels.”
J.M. Coetzee， recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature， elaborated on Swedish scientist Alfred Bernhard Nobel’s intentions in launching the Prize， as well as the evolution of its criteria. When asked whether the Prize is completely fair and just， he replied that the members of the Swedish Academy are human， and they make subjective choices as all humans do. He pointed out that political influence was obvious in the early days of the Nobel Prizes， noting that Winston Churchill’s Nobel Prize in Literature can be attributed to the Cold War mentality.
How can literature survive and develop in modern society？
Born in Hong Kong， Australian novelist and essayist Brian Castro is of Chinese， Portuguese， and British descent. Currently， he is Chair of Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide. His most famous works of fiction are Double-Wolf and Shanghai Dancing. Castro contends that literature is alive and cannot be isolated from modern society. However， facing challenges from other more popular art forms such as film， literature is stuck in a period of confusion in modern times. “Many contemporary writers have given up their spiritual pursuits， and for many， writing has become nothing more than a skill，” he argues. “Today， publishers influence and change writers’ styles to meet the demands of the market. Literature has become a minority art with a smaller share of the public feeling its pulse， while great literary classics are increasingly forgotten. In these times， literary critics should stand up and flex their role and influence by lighting the path ahead for literature.”
Chinese writer and playwright Xu Xiaobin agrees with Castro. “Good literature is always a need of readers，” she noted.“However， consumerism and materialism began to ‘freeze’ spiritual exploration and imagination in the 21st Century. In this context， writers are expected to create new worlds in an era of spiritual desertification. Regardless of market performance， literature should at least satisfy the spiritual needs of mankind. Literature will definitely return to basics after enduring such a high degree of commercialization.”
Is literature inclusive？
Australian writer Nicolas Jose il- lustrated the inclusiveness of literature by quoting early-modern Chinese educator Cai Yuanpei’s concept of “free thinking and embracing all.”
“Literature is both inclusive and exclusive，” Jose asserted at the forum. “When it includes one thing， it excludes others at the same time. The biggest challenge we now face is whether human language is capable of illustrating the massive scope of nature. For me， the charm of literature lies in the fact that it provides the optimum medium for cultural communication. Human languages are diverse， but also share common traits. They are both conduits and obstacles for literary exchange.”
“Cultural inclusiveness only exists in the realm of literature，” claimed famous Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun. “Literature includes
history. For instance， one can learn European history from Shakespeare as well as from history textbooks. Literature also embraces time. Most annoying to humans is the fact that they cannot avert the passage of time
and skirt death. Literature offers solutions to problems scientists cannot solve. Whenever you open the classical novel Dream of the Red Mansion， fictional characters Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu remain as they’ve always been. In this sense， they never age or die. I think this is the biggest contribution writers make to the world.”
What does the Nobel Prize mean for writers？
In the eyes of Chinese writer Mo Yan， the Nobel Prize places literature at the center of global attention for a time. “Every time literature has almost been forgotten by the world， the Nobel Prize pops up as a reminder，” he joked. “It also has the power to transform a relatively unknown writer into a globally celebrated figure. Even those who seldom read will buy books by a Nobel laureate.” Mo added that the Prize cannot change the literary and aesthetic values of the winner’s work.
Mo admitted that the Nobel Prize in Literature brought him greater fame. However， since he won， he has been invited to so many events that he rarely finds time to sit down and write anymore. “A writer better remain in solitude，” he opined. “Only in this way， can he watch the world around him calmly， gain insight into society， and create better novels.”
J.M. Coetzee， recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature， elaborated on Swedish scientist Alfred Bernhard Nobel’s intentions in launching the Prize， as well as the evolution of its criteria. When asked whether the Prize is completely fair and just， he replied that the members of the Swedish Academy are human， and they make subjective choices as all humans do. He pointed out that political influence was obvious in the early days of the Nobel Prizes， noting that Winston Churchill’s Nobel Prize in Literature can be attributed to the Cold War mentality.
How can literature survive and develop in modern society？
Born in Hong Kong， Australian novelist and essayist Brian Castro is of Chinese， Portuguese， and British descent. Currently， he is Chair of Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide. His most famous works of fiction are Double-Wolf and Shanghai Dancing. Castro contends that literature is alive and cannot be isolated from modern society. However， facing challenges from other more popular art forms such as film， literature is stuck in a period of confusion in modern times. “Many contemporary writers have given up their spiritual pursuits， and for many， writing has become nothing more than a skill，” he argues. “Today， publishers influence and change writers’ styles to meet the demands of the market. Literature has become a minority art with a smaller share of the public feeling its pulse， while great literary classics are increasingly forgotten. In these times， literary critics should stand up and flex their role and influence by lighting the path ahead for literature.”
Chinese writer and playwright Xu Xiaobin agrees with Castro. “Good literature is always a need of readers，” she noted.“However， consumerism and materialism began to ‘freeze’ spiritual exploration and imagination in the 21st Century. In this context， writers are expected to create new worlds in an era of spiritual desertification. Regardless of market performance， literature should at least satisfy the spiritual needs of mankind. Literature will definitely return to basics after enduring such a high degree of commercialization.”
Is literature inclusive？
Australian writer Nicolas Jose il- lustrated the inclusiveness of literature by quoting early-modern Chinese educator Cai Yuanpei’s concept of “free thinking and embracing all.”
“Literature is both inclusive and exclusive，” Jose asserted at the forum. “When it includes one thing， it excludes others at the same time. The biggest challenge we now face is whether human language is capable of illustrating the massive scope of nature. For me， the charm of literature lies in the fact that it provides the optimum medium for cultural communication. Human languages are diverse， but also share common traits. They are both conduits and obstacles for literary exchange.”
“Cultural inclusiveness only exists in the realm of literature，” claimed famous Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun. “Literature includes
history. For instance， one can learn European history from Shakespeare as well as from history textbooks. Literature also embraces time. Most annoying to humans is the fact that they cannot avert the passage of time
and skirt death. Literature offers solutions to problems scientists cannot solve. Whenever you open the classical novel Dream of the Red Mansion， fictional characters Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu remain as they’ve always been. In this sense， they never age or die. I think this is the biggest contribution writers make to the world.”