On 11 October 2012, the Swedish Academy announced that Mo Yan had received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work, described as hallucinatory realism merging into folk tales, history and the contemporary".
Dong Qian: Were they helpful for your writing? Mo Yan said, "They are the source of my writing. I put almost all of them into my novels. Dozens of years of life in the village became my own treasure. You will not find it useful if you’re not a writer. But as a writer myself, it’s extraordinarily valuable and important. I think that’s the main reason why my novels are different from others. If I had grown up reading classic novels, I wouldn’t have become Mo Yan." Mo Yan’s novels have already sold out in many Chinese book stores. The craze has led to a growing interest in the publishing field as well. Mo Yan said, "This is abnormal. Everything will return to normal after a while."
Dong Qian: Don’t you feel happy? You’ve just had a spike in your income. Mo Yan said, "I always a bit nervous when my novel’s sales increase. The more they sell, the more I’m frightened. Many readers will assume that the works of the Nobel Prize winner must be the best of the best, the cream of the crop. I’m afraid they may feel disappointed by my works." Mo Yan’s win ignited many Chinese peoples’ interests in literature. But the author has his own opinion.
Dong Qian: Do you think winning the Nobel Prize will promote the growth of Chinese literature, or will everything go back to normal? Mo Yan said, "It will soon go away. People will go back to their old ways."
Dong Qian: Do you think more people will be interested in literature? Mo Yan said, "The change is just short term. This will slowly fade, and all will move forward following the nature of life."
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