Article content continued

On being widely read in China, but little known here

“Being an invisible man in the country where I choose to live while being a big name in the country I chose to leave has brought me an amazing experience. In the era of globalization, it is not easy for a writer to be removed from his readership. Of course, censorship matters. I do feel frustrated about the fate of my novel Dr. Bethune’s Children. Almost six years has passed, and it has still not been allowed to be published in China.

“Invisibility is indeed an advantage for me. It has enabled me to concentrate on my writing. I am proud that I might be the most productive Chinese writer these last four years.”

On the importance of reading and books in his work and life

“Reading and books have played a huge role in my life since 1974, when I was 10 years old and the Cultural Revolution was still (underway). That year, through an “underground channel,” I got access to Western classics for the first time. Five years later, the Chinese door was wide open and all kinds of books were flooding in. The influence of existentialism and modernist literature began to exert (itself) on the younger generation.

“Parallel with the recent endeavour of rewriting my works, I enjoy rereading books. This year on June 16, Bloomsday, I began to reread (James) Joyce’s Ulysses, and I decided to read it every day. I also began to read William Trevor’s short stories after I listened to one of his interviews on (CBC’s) Writers & Company. A book I am reading now is The Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm’s history of the 20th century. It is part of the research I am doing for my next novel.”

ianmcgillis2@gmail.com