New Books in Literary Studies Megan Walsh, "The Subplot: What China Is Reading and Why It Matters" (Columbia Global Reports, 2022)
Oct 21, 2025
Megan Walsh, a London-based writer and literary journalist, discusses her book, highlighting the vibrant and diverse landscape of contemporary Chinese fiction. She delves into the impact of censorship on writers, showcasing how they creatively navigate sensitive topics through fiction. Walsh explores the rise of genres like danmei romance and sci-fi, emphasizing the cultural and generational themes in modern novels. She argues for the importance of understanding these narratives as a way to grasp the complexities of China's social fabric.
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Censorship Changes The Literary Climate
- Censorship in China fluctuates over time, creating changing windows of possibility for writers.
- Authors adapt creatively to shifting limits, producing different genres and strategies depending on the "weather."
Fiction As A Safer Channel
- Fiction offers a safer space than nonfiction for tackling sensitive social issues in China.
- Writers often fictionalize real crises to avoid direct censorship while still exposing problems.
The Size Of China's Online Fiction World
- China's online fiction market is the world's largest with hundreds of millions of readers and millions of titles.
- It relies on daily serialized chapters and cliffhangers to monetize massive youth readership.
