ASTANA — Chinese writer and 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Mo Yan visited Kazakhstan for the first time, meeting with writers, scholars, students, and readers in Almaty and Astana on June 22-23 to promote cultural and literary cooperation between Kazakhstan and China.
Sauytbek Abdrakhmanov and Mo Yan. Photo credit: Adebi Portal
During a meeting at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Mo Yan was awarded the title of Honorary Professor in recognition of his contribution to world literature. He discussed contemporary literature and emphasized the need for greater translation of Kazakh literary works into Chinese, reported 24.kz.
The visit also included a meeting at the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan, where Mo Yan toured rare manuscript and archival collections and exchanged views with local literary figures. In Almaty, readers were introduced to Kazakh translations of his novel “The Garlic Ballads” and other works.
Mo Yan said he was familiar only with the works of Abai and noted that the writings of other Kazakh authors have received limited translation into Chinese.
“At today’s meeting, I felt the warmth and hospitality of the Kazakh people. I was particularly pleased to see that Kazakhstani readers are well acquainted with world literature. However, Kazakh literary works have so far been translated into Chinese only to a limited extent. I would like to see greater attention given to this area. If more Kazakh works are translated into Chinese, we will have an opportunity to become more deeply familiar with your literature and gain a better understanding of Kazakh writers,” said Mo Yan.
As part of the visit, the Nobel laureate delivered a lecture for participants of the Literary School for Young Writers. Representatives of Kazakhstan’s literary community said the visit could give new momentum to cultural and literary ties between Kazakhstan and China.
During his visit to Astana, Mo Yan also met with Erlan Karin, State Counsellor of Kazakhstan, to exchange views on the development of a reading culture.
Literary scholar Sauytbek Abdrakhmanov described Mo Yan’s visit as a historic event for Kazakhstan’s literary community and praised the Chinese writer’s contribution to global literature.
Abdrakhmanov said that he believed Mo Yan’s prose would enter literary history as a phenomenon that united Chinese folklore with magical realism. He noted that through his novel, the writer had created an epic of the entire twentieth century, revealing the destinies of ordinary people against the backdrop of history and expressing faith in the future of the Chinese people despite the tragedies they had endured. According to Abdrakhmanov, the literary phenomenon of Mo Yan would continue to inspire and captivate readers around the world for many years to come.
