Murong Xuecun
Murong Xuecun (Chinese: 慕容 雪村; pinyin: Mùróng Xuěcūn, born 1974) is the pen name of the Chinese writer Hao Qun (郝群).His debut work Leave Me Alone: A Novel of Chengdu (Chinese: 成都，今夜请将我遗忘), which was distributed online, propelled him to stardom. On July 22, 2008 Murong made the long list for the Man Asian Literary Prize. As of November 2011, his microblog account has nearly 1.1 million followers.
Murong's writing deals mostly with social issues in contemporary China, exploring themes such as corruption, business-government relations, and general disillusionment over modern life. His literature is known for its nihilistic, realist, racy, and fatalist style. Following his rise to fame, Murong has emerged as one of the foremost critics of censorship in China.
(from Wikipedia)
“Literature is not at the service of the government; on the contrary, governments should do everything in their power to create a favourable climate for literature.”
“Why is contemporary China short of works that speak directly? Because we writers cannot speak directly, or rather we can only speak in an indirect way.Why does contemporary China lack good works that critique our current situation? Because our current situation may not be critiqued. We have not only lost the right to criticise, but the courage to do so.Why is modern China lacking in great writers? Because all the great writers are castrated while still in the nursery.”
“The only truth is that we cannot speak the truth . The only acceptable viewpoint is that we cannot express a viewpoint.”
“It is difficult to call myself a writer, even when I stand at a podium to receive a prize, I feel uncomfortable calling myself a writer—I am merely a word criminal.”
“Unfortunately, I have dedicated great effort to the task of compiling this ‘sensitive words glossary,’ and I have mastered my filtering skills. I knew which words and sentences had to be cut, and I accepted the cutting as if that was the way it should be. In fact, I will often take it on myself to save time and cut a few words. I call this ‘castrated writing’ -—I am a proactive eunuch, I have already castrated myself before the surgeon raises his scalpel.”
“Because at this time, in this place, Chinese writing exhibits symptoms of a mental disorder.”
“Actually, I am a coward. I say only what is safe to say, and I criticise only what is permissable to criticise.”
“Genuine bravery for a writer.... It is about calmly speaking the truth when everyone else is silenced, when the truth cannot be expressed. It is about speaking out with a different voice, risking the wrath of the state and offending everyone, for the sake of the truth, and the writer’s conscience.”