Mo Yan: Translators need to strike a balance

Nobel Prize laureate Mo Yan explores with Syrian-born poet Adonis the significant role of translation in today’s literary world

Cultural identity, the spirit of introspection and writers’ mission are among the topics that Syrian-born poet Adonis explored with Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan and other Chinese writers, in a recent talk organized by Beijing Normal University International Writing Center.

Both Adonis and Mo Yan, who have an increasing international readership, concluded that the one factor which facilitates and hinders their efforts is translation.