Chinese novelist & playwright (1940- )
Literature remains an indispensable human activity, in which the reader and the writer are engaged of their own volition. Hence, literature has no duty to the masses or society, and ethical or moral pronouncements added by busybody critics are of no concern to the writer.
GAO XINGJIAN
"Cold Literature", The Case for Literature
I decided that I did not want to follow any of these ideologies or trends, because these also exerted a kind of pressure, and obstructed absolute creative freedom.
GAO XINGJIAN
One Man's Bible
You contemplate and you wander without any worries, between heaven and earth, in your own private world, and in this way you acquire supreme freedom.
GAO XINGJIAN
Nocturnal Wanderer
I don't want to be a strong hero who can save society. I just want to save myself.
GAO XINGJIAN
The Guardian, Aug. 1, 2008