At the “International Conference on Chinese Literature in Global Contexts” at Beijing Normal University 北师大, World Literature Today editor Robert Con Davis-Undiano read his “Westerner’s Reflection on Mo Yan [莫言].” With Mo Yan winning the Nobel, WLT has posted it online. He writes,

Given Mo Yan’s stature and productivity, I propose that we view him as a possible test case to gauge the depth and quality of Western engagement with Chinese literature.  He is only one writer, but Western critics have responded strongly to his work, and how critics and readers react to a major writer is always revealing … I will argue that the Western active appreciation of Mo Yan signals a Western openness to Chinese literature and a deepening engagement with Chinese culture.

I will also argue that Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum (1986) is especially valuable for probing the Western response to his work and Chinese literature, owing to the significance of this novel in his production overall, the book’s grand scope, and the Western attention that the film Red Sorghum has already brought to the novel.

Read the whole piece here.