NEW GENERATION WRITERS (XIN SHENG DAI ZUOJIA) - The Dictionary

Chinese Literature - Li-hua Ying 2010

NEW GENERATION WRITERS (XIN SHENG DAI ZUOJIA)
The Dictionary

NEW GENERATION WRITERS (XIN SHENG DAI ZUOJIA). A term used for young writers who were born in the 1970s or 1980s, the latter also called “the post-1980s generation” (bashi niandai hou zuojia). Many among the group became famous at a young age, often while still in high school. In many ways, this is the generation of the Internet, which launched many careers by publishing works online and attracting a sizable following among Web surfers. It is also the generation of market economy, with youth magazines such as Mengya (Sprouts) promoting and marketing literary stars. The works by this new generation of writers are known for explicit, sometimes sensationalist, sexual content, distinctly unabashed exhibition of materialism, and self-absorption. Initially rejected by the mainstream literary establishment, the best among them have gradually gained recognition from critics for their increasingly sophisticated treatment of youth culture in contemporary society. The best known and most commercially successful among this generation of writers are Wei Hui and Han Han. See also HU JIAN; LI SHASHA; SU DE; XIAO FAN; YAN GE; ZHANG YUERAN.