Mao Dun Literature Prize


The Mao Dun Literature Prize is an award for novels, established in the will of prominent Chinese writer Mao Dun and sponsored by the China Writers Association. Awarded every four years, it is one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China. It was first awarded in 1982.

Selection rules

According to selection rule, any work, authored by Chinese nationals, published in mainland China, and with over 130,000 characters, is eligible.
The selection committee in the Chinese Writers Association holds the voting poll twice, and the winner must receive over 2/3 of the votes cast. The process is highly selective and each time, the number of winners is between three and five. The prize is awarded every four years, though it was originally awarded every three years.

Criticism

The award was recently criticized for the 2011 awards, when it was revealed that eight of the top ten on the list were either the chair or vice-chairpersons of prominent provincial writers' associations. An editorial in the China Daily stated "official status cannot and should not be a criterion for literary excellence. That's why people doubt the authenticity of prizes that are awarded to officials for their literary achievements."
To avoid such controversy, novelist Tie Ning decided her works will not enter the awards as long as she is chairwoman of China Writers Association, a position she held from 2006 to 2025.

Winners and nominees

;1982
;1985
;1991
Honorary awards:
;1997
;2000
;2005
;2008
;2011
Nominated works:
  • I'm My God by Deng Yiguang
  • Mai River by
  • Lunar Calendar by Guo Wenbin
  • Empires of Dust by Jiang Zilong
  • A Land Cast in Moonlight by
;2015
Nominated works:
;2019
Nominated works:
  • Northern Kite by
  • Bearing Word by
  • Looking for Zhang Zhan by Sun Huifen
  • Unforgettable by Ye Zhaoyan
  • Dunhuang Records by Ye Zhou
;2023
  • The Snow Mountain and the Homeland by
  • Baoshui Village by
  • Bomba by
  • A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains by
  • Ripples in the Lake by Dong Xi
Nominated works:

Works available in English

Winners
Nominees
  • 2011 – Jiang Zilong, Empires of Dust
  • 2015 –, My Country, My Blood
  • 2019 –, ''Bearing Word''