The Mao Dun Literature Prize () is an award for novels, established in the will of prominent Chinese writer

Mao Dun Shen Dehong (Shen Yanbing; 4 July 1896 – 27 March 1981), best known by the pen name of Mao Dun, was a Chinese novelist, essayist, journalist, playwright, literary and cultural critic. He was highly celebrated for his Literary realism, rea ...

(for which he personally donated 250,000

RMB The renminbi ( ; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of Chin ...

) and sponsored by the

China Writers Association The China Writers Association (CWA) is a subordinate people's organization of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC). Founded in July 1949, the organization was initially named the China National Literature Workers Association. ...

. Awarded every four years, it is one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China. It was first awarded in 1982.

Selection rules

According to selection rule, any work, authored by Chinese nationals, published in mainland China, and with over 130,000 characters, is eligible. The selection committee in the Chinese Writers Association holds the voting poll twice, and the winner must receive over 2/3 of the votes cast. The process is highly selective and each time, the number of winners is between three and five. The prize is awarded every four years, though it was originally awarded every three years.

Criticism

The award was recently criticized for the 2011 awards,"Literary prizes or farcical awards"
''China Daily'', 16 August 2011. when it was revealed that eight of the top ten on the list were either the chair or vice-chairpersons of prominent provincial writers' associations. An editorial in the ''China Daily'' stated "official status cannot and should not be a criterion for literary excellence. That's why people doubt the authenticity of prizes that are awarded to officials for their literary achievements." To avoid such controversy, novelist

Tie Ning Tie Ning (born September 1957) is a Chinese author based in Beijing, China. She has, since 2006, been the president of the China Writers Association and is a member of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Her works include ...

decided her works will not enter the awards as long as she is chairwoman of

, a position she took in 2006.

Winners and nominees

;1982 (1st) *''Xu Mao and His Daughters'' (许茂和他的女儿们) by Zhou Keqin *''Orient'' (东方) by Wei Wei *''General's Chant'' (将军吟) by Mo Yingfeng *''Li Zicheng'' (李自成) by Yao Xueyin *''A Small Town Called Hibiscus'' (芙蓉镇) by Gu Hua *''Spring in Winter'' (冬天里的春天) by Li Guowen ;1985 (2nd) *''The Yellow River Flows to the East'' (黄河东流去) by

Li Zhun Li Zhun (; 4 July 1928 – 2 February 2000) was a Chinese novelist who was the vice president of China Writers Association and the librarian of Chinese Modern Literature Museum. Biography Li was born into an ethnic Mongolian family of teachers i ...

*''Leaden Wings'' (沉重的翅膀) by Zhang Jie *''The Wedding Party'' (钟鼓楼) by

Liu Xinwu Liu Xinwu (; born June 1942) is a Chinese author, and one of the earliest proponents of the post-Maoism, Maoist wave of Chinese literature. Biography Born in the province of Sichuan, his family moved to Beijing, a city that figures prominently ...

;1991 (3rd) *'' Ordinary World'' (平凡的世界) by Lu Yao *''Young Emperor'' (少年天子) by Ling Li *''Metropolis'' (都市风流) by Sun Li and

Yu Xiaohui Yu Xiaohui (; born 1949) is a Chinese novelist. Yu is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and China Writers Association. She shared the Mao Dun Literature Prize with her husband Sun Li in 1991. Biography Yu was born in Shanghai in 1949. Sh ...

*''The Second Sun'' (第二个太阳) by

Liu Baiyu Liu Baiyu (; 2 September 1916 – 24 August 2005), born Liu Yuzan () in Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List ...

*''The Jade King'' (穆斯林的葬禮) by Huo Da Honorary awards: *''Bloody Heaven'' (浴血罗霄) by

Xiao Ke Xiao Ke (; July 14, 1907 – October 24, 2008) was a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, former vice chairman of the CPPCC, as well as principal of the University of Military and Politics. Biography Early life Xiao was born in ...

*''Broken Golden Bowl'' (金瓯缺) by

Xu Xingye Xu Xingye (; 1917 – 1990) was a Chinese novelist. One of his works, ''Broken Golden Bowl'', won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, a prestigious literature award in China. Biography Xu was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang in 1917. He graduated from Wuxi ...

;1997 (4th) *''War and People'' (战争和人) by

Wang Huo Wang Huo (; born 1 July 1924) is a Chinese novelist and screenwriter. Wang was a member of the 5th, 6th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Biography Wang was born in Shanghai in July 1924, with his anc ...

*''White Deer Field'' (白鹿原) by

Chen Zhongshi Chen Zhongshi (; 3 August 1942 – 29 April 2016) was a Chinese author. He started writing prose in 1965 and finished his magnum opus ''White Deer Field'' in 1993 (for which he won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 1997). In 1979, he became a me ...

*''White Gate Willow'' (白门柳) by

Liu Sifen Liu Sifen (; born January 1944) is a Chinese novelist and painter who was the president of Guangdong Literature and Art Association. Biography Liu was born in Wuzhou, Guangxi in January 1944. In 1946, his family moved to British Hong Kong. After ...

*''Unsettled Autumn'' (骚动之秋) by

Liu Yumin Liu Yumin (; born February 1951) is a Chinese novelist who was the vice president of Shandong Literature and Art Association. Biography Liu was born into a family of farming background in Jinan, Shandong. His father died young, his mother died i ...

;2000 (5th) *''The Choice'' (抉择) by Zhang Ping *''

Red Poppies ''Red Poppies'' () is a 1998 Chinese-language novel by the Tibetan Chinese writer Alai, whose theme is based on the Tibetan custom and traditions. The novel consists of 12 chapters with a total of 481,000 Chinese characters. It won the Mao Dun ...

'' (尘埃落定) by Alai *'' The Song of Everlasting Sorrow'' (长恨歌) by

Wang Anyi Wang Anyi (born 6 March 1954) is a Chinese writer, vice-chair of the China Writers Association since 2006, and professor in Chinese Literature at Fudan University since 2004. Wang widely writes novels, novellas, short stories and essays with div ...

*''Trilogy of the Tea Masters'' (茶人三部曲) by Wang Xufeng ;2005 (6th) *''Zhang Juzheng'' (張居正) by Xiong Zhaozheng *''Wordless'' (无字) by Zhang Jie *''Sky of History'' (历史的天空) by Chu Chunqiu *''Heroic Time'' (英雄时代) by Liu Jianwei *''Eastern Concealment'' (东藏记) by

Zong Pu Feng Zhongpu (born 26 July 1928), better known by her pen name Zong Pu, is a Chinese novelist. She won the Mao Dun Literature Prize for her 2001 novel, ''Eastern Concealment''. Born in Beijing, Zong is the daughter of Feng Youlan, a prominent p ...

;2008 (7th) *''The Shaanxi Opera'' (秦腔) by

Jia Pingwa Jia Pingwa (born 21 February 1952) is one of China's most popular authors of novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. His best-known novels include ''Ruined City'', which was banned by the State Publishing Administration for over 17 year ...

*'' The Last Quarter of the Moon'' (额尔古纳河右岸) by

Chi Zijian Chi Zijian ( zh, s=迟子建; born 27 February 1964) is a Chinese novelist. She is best known for her novel '' The Last Quarter of the Moon'' which won the Mao Dun Literary Prize (2008), one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China. B ...

*''The Sons of Red Lake'' (湖光山色) by

Zhou Daxin Zhou Daxin (; born 1952), also known by his pen name Pǔdù (). He is a Chinese novelist who was the president of Henan Literature Academy. Biography Zhou was born into a family of farming background in Dengzhou, Henan in 1952. In 1970, after h ...

*''In the Dark'' (暗算) by

Mai Jia Jiang Benhu (; born 1964), better known by his pen name Mai Jia (麦家), is a Chinese novelist. He also served as the president of Zhejiang Writers Association and vice president of the Zhejiang Literature and Art Association. Biography Jiang ...

;2011 (8th) *''On the Plateau'' (你在高原) by Zhang Wei *''The Sky Dwellers'' (天行者) by Liu Xinglong *''

Frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

'' (蛙) by

Mo Yan Guan Moye (; born 5 March 1955), better known by the pen name Mo Yan (, ), is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. In 2012, Mo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work as a writer "who with hallucinatory realism merges fol ...

*''

Massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...

'' (推拿) by

Bi Feiyu Bi Feiyu (, born 1964) is a Chinese writer.Chitralekha Basu and Song Wenwei ''China Daily'', Jan 12, 2012 His works are known for their complex portrayal of the "female psyche." He has won some of the highest literary awards in China. He also wr ...

*'' Someone to Talk To'' (一句顶一万句) by

Liu Zhenyun Liu Zhenyun (born May 1958) is a Chinese novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his novel '' Someone to Talk To'' (awarded the 2011 Mao Dun Literature Prize) as well as his involvement with the many film adaptions of his books. Among t ...

Nominated works: *''I'm My God'' (我是我的神) by Deng Yiguang *''Mai River'' (麦河) by *''Lunar Calendar'' (农历) by

Guo Wenbin "Guo", written in Chinese: 郭, is one of the most common Chinese surnames and means "the wall that surrounds a city" in Chinese. It can also be transliterated as Cok, Gou, Quo, Quach, Quek, Que, Keh, Kuo, Kwo, Kuoch, Kok, Koc, Kwee, Kwek, Kw ...

*''Empires of Dust'' (农民帝国) by

Jiang Zilong Jiang Zilong (; born August 1941) is a Chinese author of fiction and essays. He is known as the founder of 'reform literature' which deals with China’s policy of reform and opening up. Biography Jiang was born in August 1941 in Hebei provi ...

*''A Land Cast in Moonlight'' (遍地月光) by ;2015 (9th) *''Jiangnan Trilogy'' (江南三部曲) by Ge Fei *''The Scenery Around Here'' (这边风景) by Wang Meng *''Book of Life'' (生命册) by

Li Peifu Li Peifu (; born October 1953) is a Chinese novelist best known for his novel ''Book of Life'', which won him China's top literature prize: Mao Dun Literature Prize, in 2015. Li is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and the China Writers As ...

*''Blossoms'' (繁华) by Jin Yucheng *''Shadow of the Hunter'' (黄雀记) by

Su Tong Tong Zhonggui ( zh, c=童忠贵, p=Tóng Zhōngguì; born January 23, 1963), known by the pen name of Su Tong ( zh, s=苏童, t=蘇童, p=Sū Tóng, labels=no) is a Chinese writer. He was born in Suzhou and lives in Nanjing. He entered the Depa ...

Nominated works: *''My Country, My Blood'' (吾血吾土) by *''Kalabu Storm'' (喀拉布风暴) by Hong Ke *''Going North'' (北去来辞) by Lin Bai *''Jerusalem'' (耶路撒冷) by Xu Zechen *''Above Living'' (活着之上) by Yan Zhen ;2019 (10th) *''The Human World'' (人世间) by

Liang Xiaosheng Liang Xiaosheng (; born 22 September 1949) is a Chinese novelist and screenwriter. Liang is a member of China Writers Association. He is also a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. His novels have been translated into English, Fr ...

*''That Which Can't Be Washed Away'' (牵风记) by

Xu Huaizhong Xu Huaizhong (; 29 September 1929–13 January 2023) was a Chinese novelist. He is best known for his novel ''That Which Can't Be Washed Away'' which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Prize (2019), one of the most prestigious literature prizes in ...

*''Northward'' (北上) by Xu Zechen *''The Protagonist'' (主角) by Chen Yan *''Brother Ying Wu'' (应物兄) by Li Er Nominated works: *''Northern Kite'' (北鸢) by *''Bearing Word'' (捎话) by *''Looking for Zhang Zhan'' (寻找张展) by Sun Huifen *''Unforgettable'' (刻骨铭心) by Ye Zhaoyan *''Dunhuang Records'' (敦煌本纪) by Ye Zhou ;2023 (11th)
/ref> *''The Snow Mountain and the Homeland'' (雪山大地) by *''Baoshui Village'' (宝水) by *''Bomba'' (本巴) by *''A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains'' (千里江山图) by *''Ripples in the Lake'' (回响) by Dong Xi (writer), Dong Xi Nominated works: *''Food is Heaven'' (燕食记) by *''Alive'' (有生) by Hu Xuewen *''Golden River'' (金色河流) by Lu Min *''In the Haze'' (烟霞里) by Wei Wei *''Distant White Horse'' (远去的白马) by

Zhu Xiuhai Zhu or ZHU may refer to: *Zhu (surname), common Chinese surnames *Zhu River, or Pearl River, in southern China *Zhu (state), ancient Chinese state, later renamed Zou *House of Zhu, the ruling house of the Ming dynasty in Chinese history *Zhu (stri ...

Works available in English

Winners *1982 (1st) – Gu Hua, ''A Small Town Called Hibiscus'' (trans.

Gladys Yang Gladys Yang (; 19 January 1919 – 18 November 1999) was a British translator of Chinese literature and the wife of another noted literary translator, Yang Xianyi. Biography She was born Gladys Margaret Tayler at the Peking Union Medical Col ...

, Panda Books, 1983) / Li Guowen, ''Spring in Winter'' (trans. Liu Quanfu, Sinoist Books, 2 vols., 2018–2019) *1985 (2nd) – Zhang Jie, ''Leaden Wings'' (trans. Gladys Yang,

Virago Press Virago is a British publisher of women's writing and books on feminist topics. Started and run by women in the 1970s and bolstered by the success of the Women's Liberation Movement (WLM), Virago has been credited as one of several British femin ...

, 1987) /

, ''The Wedding Party'' (trans.

Jeremy Tiang Jeremy Tiang (born 17 January 1977) is a Singaporean writer, translator and playwright based in New York City. Tiang won the 2018 Singapore Literature Prize for English fiction for his debut novel, ''State of Emergency'', published in 2017. Car ...

, AmazonCrossing, 2022) *1991 (3rd) – Huo Da, ''The Jade King'' (trans. Guan Yuehua, Panda Books, 1992) / Sun Li and

, ''Metropolis'' (trans. David Kwan, Panda Books, 1992) *2000 (5th) – Alai, ''

'' (trans.

Howard Goldblatt Howard Goldblatt (, born 1939) is a literary translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China & Taiwan) fiction, including '' The Taste of Apples'' by Huang Chunming and ''The Execution of Mayor Yin'' by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt ...

and

Sylvia Li-chun Lin Sylvia Li-chun Lin (Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan) is a Taiwanese-born Chinese–English translator and a former associate professor of Chinese Literature at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Notre Dame. She has translated over a d ...

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company ( ; HMH) is an American publisher of textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, and reference works. The company is based in the Financial District, Boston, Boston Financial District. It was fo ...

, 2003) /

, '' The Song of Everlasting Sorrow'' (trans. Michael Berry and Susan Chan Egan,

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

, 2008) / Wang Xufeng, ''The Story of the Carefree Tea Mansion'' (trans. Weihua Yu, Zhifu Qian, and Jim Weldon, Homa & Sekey Books, 2022) / Zhang Ping, ''The Choice'' (trans. James Trapp, Sinoist Books, 2024) *2005 (6th) –

, ''Eastern Concealment'' (trans. Wen Lingxia, Sinoist Books, 2019) *2008 (7th) –

, '' The Last Quarter of the Moon'' (trans. Bruce Humes,

Vintage Books Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was acquired by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random Ho ...

, 2013) /

, ''In the Dark'' (trans.

Olivia Milburn Olivia Milburn (born 1976) is a sinologist, author and literary translator who specialises in Chinese cultural history and in Chinese minority groups. Life and career Milburn is a professor at the School of Chinese, Hong Kong University. Milbur ...

and Christopher Payne,

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

, 2015) /

, ''The Sons of Red Lake'' (trans. Haiwang Yuan and Thomas Bray, Sinoist Books, 2022) /

, ''The Shaanxi Opera'' (trans.

Nicky Harman Nicky Harman is a UK-based literary translator, working from Chinese to English and focussing on contemporary fiction, literary non-fiction, and occasionally poetry, by a wide variety of authors. When not translating, she spends time promoting ...

and Dylan Levi King, AmazonCrossing, 2023) *2011 (8th) –

, ''

'' (trans. Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin, Penguin Books, 2015) /

, ''

'' (trans. Howard Goldblatt,

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheimer and then acqu ...

, 2015) / Liu Xinglong, ''The Sky Dwellers'' (trans. Emily Jones, Aurora Publishing, 2016) /

, '' Someone to Talk To'' (trans. Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin,

Duke University Press Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 ...

, 2018) *2015 (9th) – Ge Fei, ''Peach Blossom Paradise'' (trans. Canaan Morse,

New York Review Books New York Review Books (NYRB) is the publishing division of ''The New York Review of Books''. Its imprints are New York Review Books Classics, New York Review Books Collections, The New York Review Children's Collection, New York Review Comics, ...

, 2022) /

, ''Shadow of the Hunter'' (trans. James Trapp, Sinoist Books, 2022) *2019 (10th) –

, ''That Which Can't Be Washed Away'' (trans. Haiwang Yuan and Will Spence, Sinoist Books, 2023) *2023 (11th) – Dong Xi (writer), Dong Xi, ''Ripples in the Lake'' (trans. James Trapp, Sinoist Books, 2026) Nominees *2011 (8th) –

, ''Empires of Dust'' (trans. Christopher Payne and Olivia Milburn, Sinoist Books, 2019) *2015 (9th) – , ''My Country, My Blood'' (trans. Scott Rainen, Big Sky Publishing, 2019) *2019 (10th) – , ''Bearing Word'' (trans. Jeremy Tiang, Balestier Press, 2023)

References

External links

Mao Dun Literature Prize
{{Mao Dun Literature Prize Chinese literary awards Awards established in 1982 Chinese-language literary awards 1982 establishments in China