There have been many read ers who asked me why most of my stories take place by waterside. I grew up by water, which is the place I know best. This experience left so many stories for me to write down. When I am writing, I would always need to find a support of my own experience, which is more or less related to my childhood impressions. They are soils breeding my novels, and ever since the Grass House , my works have always been born for water.

　　I have once said that being a man is about being a smart man, and being a writer is also about being a smart writer. Maybe he can’t be smart for real, but he has to assume himself as a smart man. Yes, he definitely should assume like this, since if he continuously assumes that, he might truly achieve one day.

Cao Wenxuan

Chinese writer

The winner of 2016

Hans Christian Andersen Award

　　In my opinion, to check whether a writer is smart, he has to show what he regards as the source of writing. For a Chinese writer, the socalled source of writing is exactly the land, upon which his two feet stand, a land where he is born and brought up. It is stupid and even silly to ignore, forget or reject this land, because the land, however much it has been changing over thousands of years, has decided the writer’s spirit and taste. He will become nothingness, or be expelled from the literary circles, if he does that. More importantly, stories are budding on this land all the time, which are so special for human society, so extraordinary in quality, and so unique in happening, developing and ending. I have experienced this source, and I would always cheer with wild joy after I succeed in choosing one of the big sto ries to tell.

　　However, only sticking firmly to the land is not enough to make a man smart. The smartest man also looks over to the connected part of the heaven, the earth through clouds of smoke, and the vast world beyond the boundary of countries. Views should always walk further than feet, and whilst soul should forge ahead furthest. A man who is willing to achieve something great in literature does understand the truth related to the life of literature the land where he is born and brought up is always the sources of his writing. He ponders over issues related to the world, materials belonging to China, and themes for human beings. He needs to create a Chinese story where the basic state of human existence can be seen, one that can not be created by any imag ination. He wants to see the unchanged underlying humanity through happi ness, anger, grief and joy of each Chinese person, and he expects to always use his words to provide excellent humanity foundation for human beings.

　　In addition, what Chinese writers are delighted to see is that this year, China becomes the guest country at Bologna Children’s Book Fair for the first time ever. For many years, Chinese writers and their works have been looked down and undervalued. Therefore, like what I have said in many occasions Chinese writers should thank Mo Yan for his winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, because after that, Chinese literature receives fewer and fewer voices of doubts. As China opens its door to the world, more and more international books cultures, and exchange activities have been put forward, and there will be more writers who are to be given vari ous international awards. Then, Chinese literature would acquire greater voice and become more influential.

　　Actually, active participation in international book fairs and cultural exchange activities would surely help our excellent works to go global . It is a direct and effective way to show and introduce Chinese works to the interna tional readers.