Xue Mo and His Readers

Writer Xue Mo

Into the desert Seminar

Xue Mo is in the studio

Xue Mo and other experts at the Culture and Life Health Forum

In this day and age, though living in different countries and regions across the globe, we’re all chasing one dream, that is, literature.

MELBOURNE LN, AURORA, ILLINOIS, US, March 13, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “In this day and age, though living in different countries and regions across the globe, we’re all chasing one dream, that is, literature.” said Chinese writer Xue Mo at a panel discussion themed “Communicating the World with Literature,” which was held in Beijing on February 25th, 2023.

Anyone who has come into contact with Xue Mo’s readers will certainly be stunned by the fact that they read only for the sake of reading. In this super-stressful era, Xue Mo’s works as a whole construct a brand-new spiritual homeland for today’s people, helping them embrace reading for the sake of reading, lifting them up during the process of reading, and empowering them to be the master of their own life. So, what exactly is human spirit? Xue Mo explained as follows,

“Whoever encounters Xue Mo’s works will become flammable, and you’ll be ignited as long as getting in touch with them. In fact, it’s something spiritual. I call the most precious human spirit love and wisdom. You touch upon life itself when you apply this love and wisdom into your life and showcase yourself to the world. It’s something alive, a manifestation of your self-realization. This love and wisdom from the East are badly needed by people all over the world.”

Liu Jiang kai, an associate professor from the Institute of International Communication of Chinese Culture of Beijing Normal University, couldn’t wait to express his sincere praise for Xue Mo and his readers as well as the heart-warming cultural phenomena that they create together, before his speech.

“Every time I attended Xue Mo’s new book release, a very special feeling would rise in my heart, which frequently reminded me of a classic allusion in Zuo Zhuan: Even in the dark tunnel, the joy of reunion is a touch of heaven. I found that each one of his signing events would attract a large number of readers, both local and from afar. They were really like one big family. I could also feel the passion and thoughtfulness of his readers and volunteers, as well as the great effort those silent, behind-the-scenes workers made. Such a harmonious writer-reader relationship has left a lasting impression on me, and I shall say this is the best and most fertile soil of literature.”

During the discussion, Li Xuetao, a professor from Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and Director of Institute of Global History, BFSU, also discussed with other guest speakers how to evaluate a literary work. He believed a good literary work has the ability to activate its reader’s knowledge and life experience as well as engage their senses as if they were experiencing it, in other words, a literary work is not completed until its reader participates and comprehends the text. By borrowing the concept of “Interaction” in the world history studies, Li concisely explicated the phenomenon of “co-creation between the author and the readers”:

“Mr. Xue Mo pays special attention to his readers. I think half of Xue Mo’s works are created by Xue Mo himself, and the other half are completed by his readers interpreting the texts with their own life experience and knowledge. Well, there is a key concept called “Interaction” in the world history studies, “Interaction” in German and “Hudong” in Chinese. Actually, it is the “interaction” that enables us to form a real connection with others, and at the same time, new things will emerge spontaneously.”

After hearing Li’s brilliant talk, Mrs. Chen Yanjin, a senior editor from People’s Literature Publishing House, also shared her point of view toward the phenomenon of “co-creation between the author and the readers”:

“In 2020, I wrote the first literature review on Xue Mo and his works, Decoding Xue Mo. I guess this is a world that I’ve created after my encounter with Xue Mo’s works. Nowadays many readers, after reading Xue Mo’s books, start to create their own writings, and re-shape themselves in daily life. I think the English version of Into the Desert by Xue Mo, which was co-translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin, is also a new world the couple have built together after reading The Desert Trilogy. So, to me, literature just seems too incredible and magical. It has the power to connect every and each isolated world, help us inspire each other and co-create something with passion, and thereby make the world richer and more diverse.”

During the Q&A session, the preeminent German sinologist Wolfgang Kubin delivered a short yet thought-provoking speech on the value and significance of communicating the world with literature. He declared,

“What is the significance of literature? This question is easy to answer, because both Wang Meng and Lu Xun have said that literature is the study of human nature. What does it mean to be human? If we look at this question from the perspective of this award-winning novel Into the Desert, the two female characters are, in reality, seeking for their true selves; they are on the road. Do the two ladies know where they’re heading? Can they really find their true selves? We don’t know. But, through witnessing their fate, we can contemplate on our own personal existence.”

“Xue Mo’s readers told us that they thought Xue Mo’s novels always put human existence at the heart of his writing. Literature is trying to tell us: What is existence? How shall we live? What is the real source of our misfortune? Where is our happiness? Perhaps, we are still going to seek on the road throughout our whole lifetime, just like the two ladies in the story. However, whether our life is a failure or a victory, it can always help us gain a better understanding toward ourselves.”

At the end of the seminar, Xue Mo claimed that his success entirely relied on his readers who had always been supporting and accompanying him, and he summarized three secrets of his success:

“First and foremost, I suppose I am the only writer in China and even the world who can persist in doing live stream at five in the morning and spend half an hour reading a book with my readers every day. Besides, I suppose I am the only writer who has chosen to grow happily with my fans and explore the world with them over the past decade.”

“Each one of my readers possesses a flammable heart of love; I’ll ignite their hearts first, and they will illuminate the mind of others in future. That is an illumination of life.”

Ida Liu
Ruxue International Media Inc
17736485522
ruxue_media@163.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
TikTok
Other

International Publishers Say Xue Mo's Works