Canadian literary critic Dylan Levi King examines how Can Xue, who has thrived outside the Chinese literary system, has emerged as a frontrunner for this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature
When it comes to predicting the annual Nobel Prize in Literature, literary merit isn’t the only—or even the most important—criterion. Instead of evaluating the career or genius of individual writers, sometimes it can be more instructive to guess the sociopolitical mood at the Swedish Academy, shifts in literary taste, or patterns in how the Nobel has been awarded.
For several years in a row, bookmakers have put Chinese writer Can Xue at the top of their list for possible Nobel Prize winner. This year, she is an almost unanimous favorite, ahead of Gerald Murnane, Anne Carson, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, and even the most recognizable names, like Thomas Pynchon, Salman Rushdie, and Margaret Atwood.
But does she deserve to be the winner, with the announcement coming on October 10?
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Is China on Track for Another Nobel Prize in Literature After Mo Yan? is a story from our issue, “New Game.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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