Chinese novelist Mai Jia moves from spy thrillers to exploring human nature in rural stories that reach readers worldwide.
At the age of 60, Chinese novelist Mai Jia has turned a new page. Once famous for tense, intricate spy thrillers, he now walks through quiet villages, listening to people tell their stories. From the shadowy world of espionage to rural life, Mai is exploring what connects us all: the complexity of human nature.
He sees little difference between his past and present work. “I’ve always been exploring the folds of human nature,” he says. Indeed, whether writing about spies or villagers, his goal is the same: understanding people in all their complexity.
The Long Road of Writing
Over the years, Mai’s dedication to literature has been relentless. His first novel, Decoded, took 11 years and 17 rejections before publication in 2002. His latest work, Ren Jian Xin (《人间信》, Letters from the Human World), took five years to complete, and at times, he was moved to tears.
“Literature comes alive through people,” he says. For example, “Traditional writing must be built on human nature. People are at the core. Literature is the study of people.” He focuses on what connects us all, blending Chinese values with universal human truths.
His works have been translated into 34 languages and sold in over 100 countries. The Wall Street Journal described him as “a Chinese novelist going global.” As a result, Mai believes China’s rising international influence sparks curiosity about its literature, while exposure to foreign works shaped his global storytelling style.
Humans, Imperfections, and the Moon
As he grows older, Mai has learned to embrace human imperfections. “When I was young, I chased perfection. Now, I see life is made of emotions, joys, sorrows, love, and conflict,” he says.
He compares human creativity with artificial intelligence: “Machines are perfect, like the sun. But they don’t have the moon.” The moon has phases—sometimes bright, sometimes dark—just like human life. Its flaws, therefore, make it beautiful and inspiring.
“Literature is like the human heart—boundless,” he concludes. Ultimately, Mai’s work seeks to explore that boundlessness, searching for the edges of human experience.
Written by Chen Wang, additional reporting by Zeng Yue.
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