Guo Xiaolu on Mo Yan, Movie Making, Marguerite Duras

Guo Xiaolu, who was named one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists this year, spoke to the Wall Street Journal from her home in London about the losers of history, writing in broken English and how she’s still trying to understand British culture.

When Guo Xiaolu moved to the United Kingdom in 2002, she could barely speak English.

“No more than 10 sentences,” said the writer, now 39 years old and part of the literary magazine Granta’s list of the 20 most promising British novelists. “It was really painful to shift into my second life.”