Photo: Johannes Kolfhaus, Gymn. Marienthal / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Mo Yan, born on February 17, 1955 in Gaomi, People's Republic of China, is a writer, novelist and teacher. That puts Mo Yan at 71 years old in 2026. Education on record includes College of Military Culture at the PLA National Defense University. Recorded honors include Nobel Prize in Literature (2012), International Nonino Prize (2005), honorary doctor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and 3 more. Credited works include Red Sorghum, The Republic of Wine and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out.
My Take
Mo Yan is one of those rare writers who turned a single patch of rural Shandong soil into an entire universe. What grips me is the irony of a pen name meaning don't speak attached to some of the most fearlessly verbose fiction of his generation. Red Sorghum and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out blend folk myth, brutal history, and dark humor in a way that feels uniquely his. The Nobel was deserved, but I'm fonder still of how Japan honored him with the Fukuoka Prize. For me he's the ideal gateway into modern Chinese literature.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mo Yan
- Name (Japanese)
- 莫言
- Born
- February 17, 1955 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Goat
- Origin
- Gaomi, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- writer / novelist / teacher / screenwriter
2. Background
- University
- College of Military Culture at the PLA National Defense University
Awards & achievements
- 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature
- 2005 International Nonino Prize
- honorary doctor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
- 2006 Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
- 2015 honorary doctor of the Aix-Marseille University
- 2000 Prix Laure Bataillon
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Red Sorghum | — | |
| Notable work | The Republic of Wine | — | |
| Notable work | Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out | — | |
| Notable work | Big Breasts and Wide Hips | — | |
| Notable work | A Wonderful Work of Literature Eulogizing Human Life: On Reading Frog,a Novel by Mo Yan | — | |
| Notable work | The Herbivorous Family | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%20Yan
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8E%AB%E8%A8%80
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8998
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Mo Yan born?
Born February 17, 1955 (age 71).
Where is Mo Yan from?
Mo Yan is from Gaomi, People's Republic of China.
What does Mo Yan do?
Mo Yan works as writer, novelist, teacher, screenwriter.
What is Mo Yan known for?
Notable works include Red Sorghum, The Republic of Wine, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out.
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