At the 10th World Association for Chinese Studies Conference (WACS 10) held at the University of Hong Kong, award-winning Chinese author Xuemo delivered a keynote address that positioned literature as a vital counterbalance to the rise of artificial intelligence. In his speech titled "Using Literature to Connect the World: Wisdom and Transcendence in the AI Era," Xuemo argued that while algorithms increasingly shape human experience, literature remains the truest bridge between human hearts.
Xuemo described his creative process as entering a state of "holistic consciousness," where shedding ego and sensory limits allows the work to emerge as a natural response to human suffering and aspiration. "Love and wisdom," he said, "are the soul of great literature." These ideas resonated across disciplines, as scholars from various fields engaged with his perspective.
Professor Richard Van Ness Simmons, Director of Chinese Studies at the University of Hong Kong, highlighted Xuemo's masterful use of Liangzhou dialect—a linguistic treasure carrying five thousand years of agrarian heritage. Simmons noted that Xuemo's collaboration with translator Howard Goldblatt, involving millions of characters of dialogue to ensure dialectal nuance, sets a new standard for cross-cultural fidelity.
Professor Martin Woesler, a member of the European Academy of Sciences, drew parallels between Xuemo's narrative voice and Western phenomenological thought. Woesler praised Xuemo's strategy of giving translators creative freedom, calling it a "game-changer" for bringing Chinese literature to global readers. Scholars from Uzbekistan, Europe, and China's top universities joined the discussion, reflecting the widening international interest in Xuemo's work.
Xuemo concluded, "The real barrier to cross-cultural understanding is never technique. It is the depth of our care for life itself." With more than 80 books and translations in 31 languages, Xuemo has become one of China's most translated and internationally recognized living authors. His landmark works—including the Desert Trilogy, Into the Desert, and the monumental eight-volume epic Suosalang—have earned recent international honors such as the New York City Big Book Award, the International Book Awards, and the International Impact Book Awards (2024–2025).
The conference, held August 14, featured Xuemo's paper on the front page of the journal, drawing immediate attention. His growing global readership and rising academic recognition suggest a deep, counter-intuitive truth: the more technology advances, the more the world hungers for stories that speak directly to the shared human condition—across all borders, languages, and ages. For Xuemo's latest book, Eternal Love is available on Amazon.
