Mo Yan muses on new celebrity chapter in his life
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E-mail China Daily, December 7, 2012
Mo Yan, the winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature, was in a humorous frame of mind as he covered a number of topics during a news conference in Stockholm on Thursday.
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Mo Yan holds a news conference in Stockholm on Thursday. |
Literature, sudden fame, Chinese writers and Swedish friends, were some of the topics Mo addressed.
"The award is a personal thing,'' Mo, who is in the Swedish capital to collect his prize on Monday, said. The writer reflected on how fame now makes him a target for young female autograph hunters.
His life changed dramatically after he won the award. Prior to that, no one recognized him or even gave him a second look as he cycled the streets of Beijing.
Now there are young girls chasing him to take pictures and ask for autographs. "I realize now I am a celebrity."
"The award goes to a writer, not a country, but I believe my award will arouse interest in literature in China, " Mo said.
Constant media attention can be a huge drawback, he said.
Journalists camp outside his house, he said, and his wife has to invite them in for dumplings.
"My father always said that Mo Yan is the son of a farmer. That will not change just by winning the Noble Prize. I am amused that people chase me for my signature. I am a humble person," he said.
His works, he said, do not have a single theme and change is important in his writing as it is for all writers.
"Seeking change is the pursuit of artistic creation, and it is also about thoughts generated from a changing world. There is no writer who does not change."
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