"Just as Nobel Prize Winner in Literature Mo Yan captivated his audience with his storytelling as a young boy and later readers with his novels (e.g., Red Sorghum, The Garlic Ballads, The Republic of Wine, Big Breasts and Wide Hips) and short stories (e.g., 'Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh'), his speeches on literature in recent years are riveting. They provide rare insight into the complex thought processes of one of the most influential writers in the world. Mo Yan's passion for this work also comes across clearly in his lectures and speeches, reinforcing the strong emotions his works evoke in his readers. Many of these speeches have been translated into Japanese and Korean, and they are now available in English. From the writers who have influenced him to the relationship between his life and his works, these speeches provide an extraordinary window in Mo Yan's world and will help us appreciate his works even more"--