New Books Network Megan Walsh, "The Subplot: What China Is Reading and Why It Matters" (Columbia Global Reports, 2022)
Oct 21, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Megan Walsh, a writer and journalist specializing in Chinese culture, explores the vibrant landscape of contemporary Chinese fiction. She discusses how censorship influences literary expression and why fiction provides a safer space for writers. From the rise of online fiction to the appeal of danmei romance and science fiction, Walsh reveals the unique themes and dynamics at play in China's literary scene. Her insights reveal how understanding these narratives helps decode the complexities of modern China.
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Censorship Changes Like Weather
- Censorship in China varies over time like changing weather, so writers continuously adapt.
- Authors use genre, tone, and timing to test limits and exploit periods of leniency.
Fiction As A Safer Lens
- Fiction offers a safer space to explore sensitive subjects that nonfiction cannot safely tackle.
- Authors often fictionalize real crises to publish stories that would be blocked as reportage.
To Live Was Banned Then Released
- Yu Hua's To Live was banned for years for its Cultural Revolution themes but later became available around the Beijing Olympics.
- The book's fate shows how political temperature affects which older works reappear in China.
