Mo Yan (originally named Guan Moye) came from a poor family. His hometown is Gaomi in Shandong Province. Mo Yan means "don't speak" in Chinese; it seems an endless cascade of words has been emerging from his pen or computer. Whatever the subject matter is, a torrential flow of rich, unpredictable and often lacerating words remains his trademark.

Born on March 5, 1956, Mo was forced to abandon primary school education during the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-76) and do farming. Upon coming of age, he became a worker in a county town. At20, Mo joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA), serving as a security officer, political instructor, and propaganda officer. Publishing his first short story, "Rain Falling Thick and Fast in the Spring Night" in 1981, he soon thereafter published another piece, "Folk Music" which became very popular.

He entered the literature department of the PLA Art Academy in 1984 and published "A Transparent Radish", which reveals a unique style. His"Red Sorghum" was chosen by readers as the best-loved novelette in a poll conducted by the Beijing-based periodical People's Literature in 1986.

His new book Forty-one Bombs released recently expresses the current concerns of many Chinese people: unemployment, the gap between urban and rural areas, and changes in moral values when people start earning more money.

Mo Yan has had nine novels and over 70 short stories published in the past 22 years. The movie adaptation of "Red Sorghum" became one of the most popular Chinese films and won international acclaim. Few other Chinese writers come close to emulating his stories in terms of popularity.

Mo's writing has gained him a considerable audience not only in China but overseas, where he is considered one of the most talented and interesting of China's writers. At least six of his novels have been translated into English, German or French. The translators are themselves writers or scholars who are very interested in Chinese literature.