Yang Yang
progress in the last 40 years since the reform and openingup started. What kind of sea change has taken place in China, how it happened, and how it has influenced people from different walks of life, materially and psychologically,” Bai says. “However, we don’t have such novels. So I think we should first create some excellent works on such topics as migrant workers and make a collection.”
Lu Min, 44, vice-chairman of the writers association in Jiangsu province, dismisses such writings.
“I once met representatives of a German copyright-trading company. They told me they wanted to read about urban Chinese life rather than rural life,” she says.
But can literature be custom-made like other products? she asked.
“They want to learn about Chinese society through literature, which should be the function of the media,” she says.
“But they should expect less ideological content from our literature. In literature, we write down our consideration about life and death, love, desire, our plight and our pursuit of the beautiful life, which are the eternal themes of literature.” RedSorghum.