Mo Yan's Banquet Speech

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen,

For me, a farm boy from Gaomi's Northeast Township in far-away China, standing here in this world-famous hall after having received the Nobel Prize in Literature feels like a fairy tale, but of course it is true.

My experiences during the months since the announcement have made me aware of the enormous impact of the Nobel Prize and the unquestionable respect it enjoys. I have tried to view what has happened during this period in a cool, detached way. It has been a golden opportunity for me to learn about the world and, even more so, an opportunity for me to learn about myself.