Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 3 - Question: Dialogue Mo Yan: willing to do a "late-maturing man," continued vitality of creation

　　Xinhua News Agency reporter Shi Jingnan

　　It has been 8 years since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, and 10 years have passed since the publication of the last novel... Recently, Mo Yan returned to readers with his new work "Late Mature".

　　The first work after the Nobel Prize has naturally attracted much attention. What story does the new work tell? How do you think it is difficult to have new works after winning? Has the current literary environment changed? Focusing on the story behind the work and creation, Mo Yan answered reporters' questions in Beijing a few days ago.

Question: Many writers will fall into the so-called "Nobel Prize Curse" after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, making continuous writing difficult. How do you view this phenomenon?

　　Answer: The so-called "curse" may be an objective existence. When writers receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, they are generally older and their creative ability has declined. Coupled with the increase in social activities and various entertainments after the award, and the psychological pressure after becoming famous, these will affect their creation, but many writers have won awards. Later, he wrote important works.

　　Whether I can surpass myself and whether I can break the "Nobel Prize Curse" is difficult to judge, but I have been working hard for eight years, insisting on creating, or preparing for creation. I have written operas, poems, novels, and traveled to many places. For a writer, everything you do may become the material or inspiration of the novel. In fact, the preparation work spent on the desk is far more than I wrote this new book.

Q: How is this new book different from previous works?

　　Answer: There are 12 stories in "Late Mature People", 4 of which were written in my hometown this spring. These novels are a continuation of my creative style, but they are obviously infused with new elements. If there were a lot of tense things in my past novels, now it is more calm. The characters in the novel have not only the blood inheritance of the characters in my past novels, but also have obvious characteristics of the times.

　　Due to the use of first-person writing, it will give people a feeling as if what I write is real people and facts. This is exactly the artistic effect I pursue. But in fact, most of the characters and events in the novel are fictitious, even if there are some character prototypes and story prototypes, they have done a lot of artistic processing. Real life is the source of artistic creation, which is an undeniable basic principle, but the fictional ability and imagination of writers are the fundamental driving force that sublimates life into art. The transcendence of reality and the obscure orientation to the future contained in literature and art are also derived from the writer's own sensitivity and premonition.

　　The "Mo Yan" in the novel is actually my clone, just like a hair pulled out by Monkey Sun. He was carrying out my instructions, but he could not make any decisions on his own. I was observing and recording the process of "Mo Yan" interacting with the characters.

Question: This book is named after the short "Late Mature Man". What does "late maturity" mean?

　　Answer: "Late maturity" is a joke that my hometown friends put on the lips. There are probably two meanings here: one is that some people have their minds turned on late, or they don’t have the opportunity to show their talents, and once the opportunity comes , His intelligence suddenly increased, and his talents also showed up. This is the so-called late bloomer. The other is that for various reasons, some people hide their edge in the first half of their lives to protect themselves, but in the second half of their lives, they shine, which is impressive. The characters in the novel should belong to the second category.

　　"Late maturity" is also a very rich concept. From a literary and artistic point of view, a writer or artist matures, stereotypes, and does not change prematurely, and I think his creative path has come to an end. We all hope that our works will continue to change, that we will continue to surpass ourselves, and that we can mature later so that our artistic life and creativity can be maintained longer. I think "late maturity" is a commendatory term, which represents the spirit of seeking innovation and change.

Question: "Late Mature" presents a completely different "Northeast Township of Gaomi", where people and things in the hometown have undergone tremendous changes. How to treat these "changes"? Has the hometown in my heart drifted away?

　　Answer: In recent decades, the magnitude of the changes in Chinese society can be described as ups and downs. This is true in cities, and even more so in rural areas. The "Northeast Township of Gaomi" in my past novels has no trace in real life, but it has not disappeared. It exists in memory, in language, and in the core of many things. Old things always leave traces, and new things always have the influence of old things. The flowers fell helplessly, and it seemed that the acquaintance Yan returned.

Question: In the face of the sought-after "flow", will literature be impacted? What value does literature have today?

　　Answer: "Flow" is a term that I was familiar with when I was a teenager. At that time, every summer vacation, the upstream reservoir of the river behind my house would open the gate to release the flood, and the water conservancy department would inform the downstream how much "flow" would pass. The greater the flow, the greater the risk of the river bank breaching, so I have a sense of horror about the word "flow". Of course, the flow on the Internet cannot be equated with the flow in the river, but if it is too large, it will cause some harm? I dare not assert. But I guess, just as the flood flow can't wash away the reefs in the river, the flow on the Internet can't wash away the literature. Because literature is about the knowledge of people and the art of language. As long as people exist and language exists, literature exists. As for the role of literature in the era of flow, it is the same as that of literature in any era. Literature does not depend on flow.