The impact of storytelling and why reading and readers matter
Last month a popular literary event brought together four Asian women authors: Gong Ji-yeong from South Korea Li Zishu from Malaysia and Qiao Ye and Liao Jing from China. This event organized by the Beijing October Arts and Literature Publishing House attracted over 1.4 million viewers through its live online broadcast.
In a two-hour chat they dove into topics like how to start a writing career the link between writing and reality and the messages writers share through their work.
Qiao who won China’s top literary award the Mao Dun Literary Prize in 2023 for her novel Bao Shui (Precious Water) says she kicked off her writing journey while teaching in a small village in Henan province.
“When I was about 20 I felt lonely and unsatisfied with my situation which pushed me to find an outlet in writing. I wrote about my personal feelings and to my surprise I got letters from readers—strangers reaching out to me from afar. It was so amazing and heartwarming,” reflects Qiao now 52. After many years of writing and reading she started focusing on novels.
Li a 53-year-old author known for her award-winning book Worldly Land thinks that anyone wanting to write should develop a love for reading early on.
“As a kid I would read anything with words and I always found the most magical worlds within them,” she shares.
Before her work got published Li’s middle school Chinese teacher was the first to read her writings. She feels really thankful to this teacher for encouraging her to express herself freely. “Those joyful school days writing essays really motivated me to chase my literary dreams,” she says.
Gong 61 remembers taking part in a national essay contest as a child and later winning a university poetry competition showing that her love for language began early.
“My journey in literature started off smoothly but life took some unexpected turns. That’s when I began to question who I am what I want and the life I want to lead. I realized writing is my true passion,” Gong tells. She began her writing career with the novel Rising Dawn.
Path to Writing
Everyone has their own path to writing and it usually starts with a special moment or a person. But the process tends to be pretty similar for all of us. “We all kick things off with a mix of confidence and doubt”, shares Liao, who’s 41. She admits that writing is a toughie for her, and pushing through means dealing with laziness and fear.
“Choosing to write isn’t just about making money. It’s really about adopting a way of life, a way of thinking, and just being,” she explains. In a time when media is evolving rapidly and we can find stories from all over—not just through books—the role of writing and reading really needs some deep thought.
When it comes to the trade-offs between personal values and creativity, Liao says she believes that an author’s personal experiences and emotions inevitably influence their work. The question of whether literature still needs to serve an educational or redemptive purpose is worth contemplating.