As a highlight of new academic year activities of City University of Macau (CityU), CityU invited Professor Su Tong, CityU’s honorary doctor and renowned contemporary writer, to deliver the Doctor honoris causa Lecture titled “My Literary Life” today (August 28) at the Cultural Centre, Taipa Campus. The event was open to all faculty, students, alumni and general readers, offering a rich blend of literary insight and intellectual exchange. The lecture was also broadcasted online and attracted nearly 700 attendees on-site. The event received enthusiastic response and widespread acclaim from the audience.
Rector Jun Liu extended a warm welcome to Professor Su Tong on behalf of the University. He noted that Professor Su is one of the most influential writers in contemporary Chinese literature, renowned for his profound insights into human nature, pioneering narrative style, and the reflection of reality. In his introduction, Rector Liu highlighted Su’s acclaimed works — including Wives and Concubines, Rice, and “Arrowhead Tubers” — and praised the numerous literary awards he has received both domestically and internationally, as well as the global recognition his translated works have earned.
Rector Liu emphasized that Professor Su’s literary practice is, at its core, a continuous academic exploration that offers valuable perspectives for humanities research. He has long been committed to literary education and cultural development, playing a vital role as a bridge in international cultural exchange.
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Focusing on the theme “My Literary Life”, Professor Su Tong began by sharing several key periods that marked his journey into literary creation. He noted that the beginning of his literary era did not involve writing, but rather listening to stories. He shared that in the early 1970s, people’s spiritual lives were quite barren, yet their fascination with stories grew stronger. In order to continue a story, he hadn’t finished hearing from his neighbor, he tried to create the rest of the plot himself – thus beginning his writing career. Professor Su believed that it was precisely the era he lived in that brought him into contact with literary creation. Later, in the 1980s, China entered a feverish literary age, which further ignited his passion for writing.
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Professor Su continued by saying that all writers are spokespersons of their era, and that the era itself is like the Egyptian Sphinx—its appearance changes depending on the time and angle from which it is viewed. “The face and expression of an era, like the Sphinx, are ever-changing and can never be fully captured in writing,” he said. He further pointed out that in the world of literature, it is often the writers who shape the era. He cited four great 19th-century French authors—Flaubert, Balzac, Hugo, and Proust—as examples, although their novels depicted the same historical period, the characters they portrayed and the societies they reflected were vastly different, saying that only by piecing together the literary canvases painted by each of them can one gain a complete picture of 19th-century French society.
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During the Q&A session, Rector Liu and Professor Su engaged warmly with the guests, faculty, and students, creating an atmosphere filled with applause and laughter. Professor Su offered in-depth responses to the students’ questions. He explored the character development concepts behind Wives and Concubines, emphasizing how interpersonal relationships drive the unfolding of fate. When asked about the relative importance of plot versus character development, he cited the classic literary figure Wang Xifeng from the Dream of the Red Chamber, illustrating that successful creation of a character lies in elevating individuals into classical figures. Finally, he shared his unique insights on the relationship between Chinese rural literature and the broader development of literature, sparking lively and enthusiastic discussion throughout the event.
