The 2026 Lu Xun Literature Night, one of China’s most prestigious literary award ceremonies, was held last Friday in Shanghai, celebrating 35 winners across seven categories. Named after the influential modern Chinese writer Lu Xun, the biennial Lu Xun Literature Prize recognizes outstanding works in novellas, short stories, reportage, poetry, essays, literary theory and criticism, and literary translation.
Since its establishment in 1996, the award has highlighted contemporary Chinese literary achievements and their deep connections to society and the people. This year’s winners, despite diverse genres, commonly explored themes of truth, love, goodness, and beauty.
Among the recipients of the Best Novella Award, Quan Yongxian’s Secrets delves into the life and sacrifice of Zhao Yiman, a national hero during China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931–45). Quan emphasized that the novella conveys the experiences of an entire generation, unveiling hidden truths about the era and individuals. “Literature provides a chance for these unspeakable secrets and silent stories to be heard,” he said.
Ban Yu received recognition for his short story Manchang De Jijie (The Long Season), focusing on a young woman balancing family obligations and personal identity. Ban stressed the writer’s responsibility to shed light on urgent stories and illuminate kindness and justice through literature.
In the reportage category, Liang Hong’s award-winning work Yao You Guang (There Must Be Light) portrays youths facing emotional distress, school dropout risks, and feelings of entrapment. She credited her PhD adviser, Wang Furen, a Lu Xun expert, for inspiring her approach to “truly feel reality.” Liang’s work explores the nature of genuine love and hope among children confronting adversity.
Wang Jibing, honored in poetry for his anthology Dichu Feiring (Flying Low), brings attention to food delivery workers, a group often overlooked. Having worked as a deliveryman for eight years himself, Wang reflects on the dignity and challenges of life at society’s lower strata. He described his poetry as a means to document life and warm the world through words.
The essay award was presented to Xue Shu for Living in a Hospice: The Last Days, a personal account of her father’s final years coping with Alzheimer’s disease. Xue expressed hope that the book offers insight and encouragement to those who appreciate life amid aging and hardship.
Dai Congrong received the literary translation award for her 18-year effort translating James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. She highlighted the complexity of the text, noting that 60 percent of its vocabulary was invented by Joyce. A notable moment for her came upon discovering her own name spelled out in the original work, which she described as destiny. She expressed a wish to open new literary horizons for Chinese readers.
Xie Youshun, one of the winners in literary theory and criticism, underscored the importance of “sincerity” and “goodness” in scholarship and criticism, cautioning against empty wordplay or sarcasm.
This year’s ceremony coincides with the 145th anniversary of Lu Xun’s birth and the 90th anniversary of his death. Shanghai Writers’ Association chairman Sun Ganlu announced at the China Literature Gala on August 25 that Shanghai will permanently host the Lu Xun Literature Prize ceremony. The opening of the Shanghai Literature Museum, themed around Lu Xun and the 1930s Left-Wing Writers’ Union, was also inaugurated.
Sun emphasized the award’s broader cultural significance, noting its contribution to Shanghai’s literary development, urban progress, socioeconomic growth, and youth literary education. “Inheriting and promoting the spirit of Lu Xun is something that Chinese literature greatly needs,” he said.