Mao Dun Literature Prize () is a prize for novels, established in the will of prominent Chinese writer

Mao Dun Shen Dehong (Shen Yanbing; 4 July 1896 – 27 March 1981), known by the pen name of Mao Dun, was a Chinese essayist, journalist, novelist, and playwright. Mao Dun, as a 20th-century Chinese novelist, literary and cultural critic, and Minis ...

(for which he personally donated 250,000

RMB The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 2022. ...

) and sponsored by the

China Writers Association China Writers Association or Chinese 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 Liter ...

. 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'', 2011-8-16. 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 Communist Party of China. Her works incl ...

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) *''Orient'' (东方) by Wei Wei *''Xu Mao and His Daughters'' (许茂和他的女儿们) by

Zhou Keqin Zhou Keqin (; 1937 – August 5, 1990) was a Chinese writer regarded as a representative of Scar literature. Born in Jianyang, Sichuan, he is famous in China for the 1979 novel ''Xu Mao and His Daughters'', which was made into a movie in 1981 a ...

*''Li Zicheng'' (李自成) by

Yao Xueyin Yao Xueyin (; 10 October 1910 – 29 April 1999) was a Chinese novelist who was a member of China Writers Association. Yao was a member of the 5th, 6th, and 7th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Yao u ...

(biographical novel on

Li Zicheng Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by the nickname, Dashing King, was a Chinese peasant rebel leader who overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 and ruled over northern China briefly as the emperor of the short-li ...

) *''General's Chant'' (将军吟) by

Mo Yingfeng Mo Yingfeng (; 19 January 1938 – 17 February 1989) was a Chinese novelist who was the director of China Writers Association. Mo served as the vice president of Hunan Writers Association and Hunan Literature and Art Association. Biography Mo w ...

*''Spring in Winter'' (冬天里的春天) by

Li Guowen Li Guowen (; 24 August 1930 – 24 November 2022) was a Chinese novelist who was the director of China Writers Association. Li was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. Biography Li was born in Shanghai, Republic of China in August 1930. In ...

*''A Small Town Called Hibiscus'' (芙蓉镇) by

Gu Hua Luo Hongyu (, born June 20, 1942"Gu Hua" ''The Writers Directory 2010''. Ed. Lisa Kumar. 25th ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press, 2009. 1082. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012.), better known by his pen name Gu Hua (), is a ...

;1985 (2nd) *''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-Maoist wave of Chinese literature. Biography Born in the province of Sichuan, his family moved to Beijing, a city that figures prominently in his ...

*''Yellow River Flowing to 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 ...

;1991 (3rd) *'' Ordinary World'' (平凡的世界) by

Lu Yao Wang Weiguo (; 1949–1992), better known by his pen name Lu Yao (), was a Chinese novelist. Biography He was born on 3 December 1949 in Qingjian County, Shaanxi Province. He had six siblings and grew up in a very poor family. Career H ...

*''Son of Heaven'' (少年天子) by

Ling Li Li Ling (, died 74 BC), courtesy name Shaoqing (少卿), was a Chinese military general of the Han Dynasty who served during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wu (汉武帝) and later defected to the Xiongnu after being defeated in an Han- ...

*''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. She ...

*''The Second Sun'' (第二个太阳) by

Liu Baiyu Liu Baiyu (; 2 September 1916 – 24 August 2005), born Liu Yuzan () in Beijing, was a Chinese writer who took an orthodox Communist line on writing issues. He opposed "Western bourgeois values", influencing Chinese literature. Awards *1988 - Co ...

*''The Jade King'' (穆斯林的葬禮) by

Huo Da Huo Da (; born 26 November 1945) is a Chinese female writer of Hui ethnicity. She also is a film editor. Her Hui name is Fa Tumai (). One of her works, ''The Muslim's Funeral'' won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 1991. It has been translated i ...

*''Blood on the Luoxiao Mountains'' (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 ...

(honorary award) *''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 ...

(honorary award) ;1997 (4th) *''White Deer Plain'' (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 Plain'' in 1993 (for which he won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 1997). In 1979, he became a mem ...

*''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 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) Awarded in Mao Dun's hometown,

Tongxiang Tongxiang City () is a county-level city, part of Jiaxing, in northern Zhejiang Province, China, bordering Jiangsu province to the north. It had a population of 1,029,754 as of the 2020 census even though its built-up (''or metro'') area is sm ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

on November 11, 2000 *'' Red Poppies'' (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 write novels, novellas, short stories and essays with dive ...

*''Decision'' (抉择) by Zhang Ping *''Trilogy of the Tea Masters'' (茶人三部曲) by Wang Xufeng ;2005 (6th) *''Zhang Juzheng'' (張居正) by

Xiong Zhaozheng Xiong Zhaozheng (; born December 1953) is a Chinese novelist. Biography Xiong was born in Yingshan County, Hubei in December 1953. He worked in Yingshan Culture Centre () by age 22. Xiong started to publish works in 1973. In 1981, Xiong was tra ...

(biographical novel on

Zhang Juzheng Zhang Juzheng (; 26 May 1525 – 9 July 1582), courtesy name Shuda (), pseudonym Taiyue (), was a Chinese politician who served as Senior Grand Secretary () in the late Ming dynasty during the reigns of the Longqing and Wanli emperors. He rep ...

) *''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 Liu Jianwei (; born October 1963), also known by his pen name Liu Shengyuan (), is a Chinese novelist. He is best known for his novel ''Heroic Time'' which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize (2005), one of the most prestigious literature prizes in ...

*''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, ''Note of Hiding in the East''. Born in Beijing, Zong is the daughter of Feng Youlan, a promin ...

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

Jia Pingwa Jia Pingwa (; born 21 February 1952), better known by his penname Jia Pingwa (), 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 ...

*''

The Last Quarter of the Moon ''The Last Quarter of the Moon'' () is a 2005 novel by Chinese writer Chi Zijian. This novel is about the nomadic Evenki clan in northern Heilongjiang. It was first published in China in 2005 and has won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2008. The ...

'' (额尔古纳河右岸) by

Chi Zijian Chi Zijian (; 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. Biography Chi was b ...

*''In the Dark'' (暗算) by

Mai Jia Jiang Benhu (; born 1964), better known by his pen name Mai Jia, 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 was born ...

*''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 ...

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