Ma Jian
Ma Jian
Ma Jianis a Chinese writer...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth18 August 1953
CountryChina
agreeing chinese demands exchange expression freedom government lives material pact political prosperous
The Chinese have made a faustian pact with the government, agreeing to forsake demands for political and intellectual freedom in exchange for more material comfort. They live prosperous lives in which any expression of pain is forbidden.
feeling land painful private return within
I have to live within my memories, within my private universe, and continually return to China, the land where my thoughts are locked. This is a very painful kind of existence, this feeling of nowhereness.
favour
I am completely in favour of dialogue and engagement. But it must be a true, open dialogue.
actively compelled continue felt freedom offices placed politics publishing resist works
After the Tiananmen Massacre, I felt compelled not only to continue writing but to actively resist the restrictions placed on freedom of speech. I set up the publishing company in Hong Kong, with offices in Shenzhen in mainland China, and managed to publish works of fiction, philosophy, and politics by unapproved authors.
began finished knocking kong moved next police soon work
While I was writing 'Stick Out Your Tongue' in Beijing, the police began knocking on my door again. As soon as I finished the book, I moved to Hong Kong so that I could work undisturbed on my next novel.
beijing government kong publish works
I left Beijing in the late 1980s to live in Hong Kong because, having been blacklisted by the government, I couldn't publish my works on the mainland.
believe china communist decide destinies hope leaders party power shared themselves view western whether
I believe that the Tibetans should have the right to control their own destinies and decide for themselves whether they want to be part of China or not. But this view isn't shared by most Chinese, or even the leaders of most Western democracies. As long as the Communist Party is in power, there is little hope for Tibet.
aware begin
Only when you are aware of the uniqueness of everyone's individual body will you begin to have a sense of your own self-worth.
above alone although basic family figure found freedom fun lost persuade sky soil spend stand time trying
I am trying to persuade my family to spend more time in China. It's no fun to be in exile. I can't even figure out the basic 26 letters, let alone operate, in English. I often feel that although I've found the sky of freedom above my head, I've lost the soil I stand on. I need to be back in my motherland, where I can find inspirations.
becomes link physical spoken urban word written
When the written and spoken word is censored, the urban landscape becomes a nation's only physical link to the past.
country exile however internal
If you exile a writer, however free the country he is sent to, there will always be a sense of internal constraint.
art joined
In my 20s, when I was a photojournalist in Beijing. I joined an underground art group and put on clandestine exhibitions of my paintings.
I am a writer. Being critical is a writer's responsibility.