The Chinese Author Who Might Secure the Nobel Prize

 

Image credit: TheBookPrizes

In a realm where her name is scarcely recognized even within China, Can Xue's literary star could be on the rise as she stands a chance to win this year's Nobel Prize in Literature.

Born just a few years before China was thrust into the tumultuous grip of the Cultural Revolution, Can Xue's life was marked by one of the most chaotic periods of the 20th century.

One of eight children, she bore witness to the upheaval that saw her father, an editorial director at a newspaper, exiled to the countryside for manual labor during the Communist purge. Her mother, employed at the same publication, faced a similar fate.

With their parents forcibly separated from them, Can Xue, her siblings, and their grandmother were left to fend for themselves. They endured on meager sustenance, surviving on pumpkin flowers and mountain weeds. In their most desperate moments, they even resorted to consuming Can Xue's father's old clothing, including a fur coat. Tragically, her grandmother succumbed to overwork and starvation, dying from an edema.

Unable to pursue a formal education, Can Xue only completed elementary school. It wasn't until she neared the age of 30 that she rediscovered her passion for writing.

Can Xue, whose real name is Deng Xiaohua, was born in 1953 in Hunan province. Her early years were steeped in the world of philosophy books from her father's collection, where Marxism was a prominent focus.

However, the advent of the Cultural Revolution brought radical change - a campaign led by Mao Zedong to eradicate elements deemed anti-communist, capitalist, traditional, and cultural from society.

Her parents fell victim to the widespread abuses of the era, including public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and confiscation of property. This deprived Can Xue of any formal education, but her love for reading and writing persisted. She took it upon herself to learn English and immersed herself in Western literature while holding various jobs - from teaching to being a self-employed tailor and even an unlicensed village doctor.

It wasn't until the 1980s that she embarked on her writing journey, developing an avant-garde style that set her apart from other Chinese authors, though it kept her relatively obscure.

"[Her] unique style may not appeal to all readers, but it's what makes Can Xue stand out," remarked Chen Xiaozhen, an editor at her publisher Hunan Wenyi.

Today, Can Xue boast a repertoire of hundreds of novels, novellas, and short stories, with several translated into English. In 2015, her novel "The Last Lover" earned her the Best Translated Book Award for fiction, and she was previously longlisted for the International Booker Prize for her work "Love in the New Millennium."

She draws inspiration from prominent Western writers like Kafka, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and Dante but firmly roots her ideas in China's rich 5,000-year history. Her work is a unique blend of both worlds.

If she emerges victorious, Can Xue will be only the second Chinese individual to clinch the Nobel Prize in Literature, following novelist Mo Yan's win in 2012. Despite competition from well-known Western heavyweights like Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, and Salman Rushdie, Can Xue has been touted as one of the frontrunners this year.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to the person who has made the most remarkable contributions to the field of literature, and the recipient receives a substantial award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($999,399; £822,000).

When asked about her thoughts on China's literary landscape, Can Xue expressed a somewhat pessimistic view. "I've said it before, I have no hope," she stated in a 2016 interview with Sixth Tone. "In China, everyone is only preserving the old. If you're not reverting to tradition with them, then you're the outsider, which means you're marginalized and overlooked."

Nonetheless, she remains committed to writing for China's younger generation, pinning her hopes on them. "There are very few progressive Chinese people right now, so I pin my hopes on the young. They are in their 20s now," she said. "In another 20 years, when they encounter problems spiritually, or when materialism cannot meet their needs, they might pick up one of my books."

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