Famous Nobel Laureates In Literature
Literature has influenced the world greatly and has many times even changed it or the better. However, there have also been times where a few works of literature have resulted in wars, conflicts, controversies and has even divided people based on ideologies. Legendary writers like Ernest Hemmingway, Pablo Neruda, T.S Elliott, William Faulkner, Herman Hasse and Rabindranath Tagore have bagged the Nobel Prize for literature in the past. Ernest Hemmingway was honored with the prestigious prize in 1954. This noted novelist and writer from the United States has penned several path breaking literary works like ‘A Farewell To Arms’, ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’, ‘The Sun Also Rises’ and ‘The Old Man And The Sea’. Hemmingway has also penned several short stories as well. T.S Elliot was considered one of the best poets of the 20th century. Many works of these individuals are famous worldwide and some of their novels have also been the inspiration behind blockbuster flicks.
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Bob Dylan(One of the Greatest Songwriters of All Time)
Birthdate: May 24, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Duluth, Minnesota, United States
Singer-songwriter and author, Bob Dylan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Active in the music industry for almost six decades, he is a major pop culture icon who introduced a range of political, social, and literary influences to pop music. He is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Ernest Hemingway(American Literary Icon Who Was Known for His Straightforward Prose & Use of Understatement)
Birthdate: July 21, 1899
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Died: July 2, 1961
Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist and short-story writer who had a strong impact on 20th-century fiction. He published seven novels and six short-story collections and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea are some of his classic works. He ended his own life in July 1961.
Birthdate: December 30, 1865
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Died: January 18, 1936
English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist Rudyard Kipling is best remembered for his fiction work The Jungle Book. He was born in India and many of his works are inspired by his life in the country. He was one of the most popular English writers in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 7, 1913
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Drean, Algeria
Died: January 4, 1960
Albert Camus was a French philosopher and the second-youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His philosophical views contributed to the rise of absurdism, a philosophical concept. Also a prolific writer, Albert Camus had an illustrious literary career; most of his philosophical essays and novels are still influential.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: May 7, 1861
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Died: August 7, 1941
Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian polymath who contributed greatly to the fields of literature, art, and philosophy. Referred to as the Bard of Bengal, Tagore is credited with reshaping Bengali literature and music. The first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore is also credited with composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.
6
William Faulkner(Regarded as One of the Most Significant American Writers of All Time)
Birthdate: September 25, 1897
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Albany, Mississippi, United States
Died: July 6, 1962
Nobel Prize-winning Southern author William Faulkner is remembered for works The Sound and the Fury, A Rose for Emily, and As I Lay Dying. He immortalized Mississippi as the fictional "Yoknapatawpha County" in his works. He also won two Pulitzers, one each for A Fable and The Reivers.
Recommended Lists:7
W B Yeats(One of the Greatest English-Language Poets of the 20th Century and 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner)
Birthdate: June 13, 1865
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sandymount, Ireland
Died: January 28, 1939
Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, playwright, and prose writer W. B. Yeats is remembered as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Known for works such as The Tower, he also helped establish the Abbey Theatre. An occult enthusiast, he was also part of The Ghost Club.
Birthdate: February 18, 1931
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lorain, Ohio
Died: August 5, 2019
Author, editor, and Princeton professor Toni Morrison is best remembered for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved, part of a trilogy. Some of her other notable works include The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. She received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. She also wrote several children’s books and plays.
Recommended Lists:9
Samuel Beckett(Irish Novelist Who Won the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: April 13, 1906
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Foxrock, Ireland
Died: December 22, 1989
Samuel Beckett was a legendary Nobel Prize-winning Irish postmodernist and minimalist playwright and author, regarded as a prominent figure of the "Theatre of the Absurd.” He is best known for the play Waiting for Godot and for his tragi-comic themes and black comedy. He was also the Saoi of Aosdána.
Birthdate: December 11, 1918
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kislovodsk, Russia
Died: August 3, 2008
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, philosopher, historian, and political prisoner. An outspoken critic of Communism and the Soviet Union, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn helped raise awareness of the Gulag, a government agency that oversaw forced labor camps set up in accordance with Vladimir Lenin's order. His non-fiction text The Gulag Archipelago was a highly influential work and sold millions of copies.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 12, 1904
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Parral, Chile
Died: September 23, 1973
Chilean poet-diplomat and politician, Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. He was a versatile writer and his works include surrealist poems, historical epics, political manifestos, and love poems. He is considered the national poet of Chile. As a politician, he served a term as a senator for the Chilean Communist Party and held several diplomatic positions.
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Eugene O'Neill(American Playwright and Winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: October 16, 1888
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 27, 1953
Eugene O'Neill was an American playwright whose works earned him several prestigious awards, including four Pulitzer Prizes for Drama and the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature. His play Long Day's Journey into Night is frequently named among the 20th century's finest American plays. In the 1981 film Reds, Eugene O'Neill is played by actor Jack Nicholson.
Recommended Lists:13
Hermann Hesse(Poet, Novelist & Painter Who Won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: July 2, 1877
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Calw, Germany
Died: August 9, 1962
German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter Hermann Hesse received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He explored individuals’ search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality in his works. An intense and headstrong person from childhood, he developed an early interest in reading. He started writing as a young man and became an influential author in the German-speaking world.
Birthdate: September 19, 1911
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newquay
Died: June 19, 1993
William Golding was a British playwright, novelist, and poet whose novel Rites of Passage earned him the Booker Prize in 1980. In 1983, Golding was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1988, William Golding was knighted for his contributions to literature. In 2008, he was mentioned in The Times' list of 50 greatest British writers since 1945.
Recommended Lists:15
Seamus Heaney(Poet, Playwright & Translator Who Received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: April 13, 1939
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Castledawson, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Died: August 30, 2013
Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, translator, and playwright. One of the most respected poets of his generation, Heaney was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. He also won other prestigious awards, such as the Eric Gregory Award. Several years after his death, Seamus Heaney is still considered one of the main contributors to poetry in Ireland.
Birthdate: October 10, 1930
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Metropolitan Borough of Hackney
Died: December 24, 2008
Recommended Lists:17
V. S. Naipaul(Trinidadian-Born British Writer Who Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001)
Birthdate: August 17, 1932
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Trinidad and Tobago
Died: August 11, 2018
Born to Indian descendants in Trinidad, V. S. Naipaul grew up to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The author of iconic novels such as Half a Life and A House for Mr. Biswas, Naipaul was also knighted. His realistic depiction of developing countries and their miseries won hearts worldwide.
Birthdate: October 22, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kermanshah, Iran
Died: November 17, 2013
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 13, 1934
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Abeokuta
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, and essayist. In 1986, he became the first sub-Saharan African to be honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. As a young man, he worked with the Royal Court Theatre in London. In Nigeria, he was actively involved in the country’s freedom struggle. He has taught at various international universities.
Birthdate: June 10, 1915
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lachine, Montreal, Canada
Died: April 5, 2005
Recommended Lists:21
Pearl Buck(Winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: June 26, 1892
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hillsboro
Died: March 6, 1973
Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Pearl Buck was raised in China by her missionary parents. She grew up to teach English literature in Chinese universities and later penned books such as East Wind, West Wind and The Good Earth, which were based on her experiences in China.
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Mario Vargas Llosa(Latin America's Most Significant Novelist and Essayist and Winner of 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: March 28, 1936
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Arequipa, Peru
In March 2020, Chinese e-book platforms virtually banned Nobel Prize-winning Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa after he suggested that China was largely responsible for the origin of the COVID-19 virus. One of Latin American’s most respected authors, he has penned bestsellers such as The Feast of the Goat.
Recommended Lists:23
Alice Munro(Canadian Short Story Writer and Winner of 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: July 10, 1931
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wingham, Canada
Her mother’s struggle with Parkinson's disease pushed Alice Munro into reading as an escape route. Munro later became a housewife, but soon soared to fame for her short story collections such as Too Much Happiness. The Canadian author later won the Nobel Prize and the Man Booker Prize, too.
Birthdate: February 7, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sauk Centre
Died: January 10, 1951
Recommended Lists:25
Henri Bergson(French Philosopher and Winner of the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: October 18, 1859
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 4, 1941
French philosopher, Henri Bergson, is remembered for his contribution to the tradition of continental philosophy. His works were considered extremely influential, especially during the first half of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1927) and Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur (1930). He was a simple man who led a humble life despite his great achievements.
Birthdate: August 14, 1867
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kingston upon Thames, England
Died: January 31, 1933
Recommended Lists:27
Andre Gide(French Author and Winner of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: November 22, 1869
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 19, 1951
Nobel Prize-winning French author Andre Gide is remembered for exhibiting the conflict between sexuality and the puritanical standards of society through his works. Much of his work was autobiographical and used the confessional format. A homosexual himself, he defended homosexuality through works such as Corydon.
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Derek Walcott(Saint Lucian Poet, Playwright, and Winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: January 23, 1930
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Castries, Saint Lucia
Died: March 17, 2017
Derek Walcott was a Saint Lucian playwright and poet who was honored with the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was also the recipient of several literary awards like Obie Award, Royal Society of Literature Award, OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, and Queen's Medal for Poetry. In 2016, he was made Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia.
Recommended Lists:29
Orhan Pamuk(Turkish Novelist and Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: June 7, 1952
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
Orhan Pamuk is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, and academic. He is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of the best-known writers from Turkey, he has sold over 13 million books in 63 languages. He began writing in the 1970s and is the author of several novels and non-fiction works in both English and Turkish.
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J. M. Coetzee(South African-Australian Writer and Recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: February 9, 1940
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cape Town, South Africa
Nobel Prize- and two-time Booker Prize-winning author J. M. Coetzee had started his career as a Fulbright scholar. After teaching English in the U.S. and South Africa, he now lives and teaches in Australia. He is best known for his colonial settings in novels such as Waiting for the Barbarians.
Recommended Lists:31
José Saramago(Portuguese Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998)
Birthdate: November 16, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Azinhaga, Portugal
Died: June 18, 2010
José Saramago was a Portuguese writer who was honored with the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. Saramago's books have sold more than two million copies in Portugal alone and have been translated into 25 languages. Among other awards, Saramago has also been honored with the Camões Prize and America Award. He is also credited with establishing the José Saramago Foundation.
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Luigi Pirandello(Italian Playwright and Novelist & Winner of 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: June 28, 1867
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Agrigento, Italy
Died: December 10, 1936
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian novelist, short story writer, poet, and dramatist. Best remembered for his plays, Pirandello was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934. An Italian nationalist, Pirandello supported Fascism; he asked the Fascist government to melt down his Nobel Prize medal for the Abyssinia Campaign.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 11, 1911
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: August 30, 2006
Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz had previously worked in the Egyptian civil service. Initially a short story writer, he later wrote novels such as Al-Thulāthiyyah, or The Cairo Trilogy. His novel Children of the Alley was banned for its religious references and led him to be stabbed by Islamists.
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Octavio Paz(Writer, Poet, Diplomat and Noble Prize Laureate)
Birthdate: March 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: April 19, 1998
Born into a family of intellectuals, Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz had been introduced to literature through his grandfather’s library. Apart from poetry, he had also written essays on art, politics, and culture. As a Mexican diplomat, he had been to countries such as India and France.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: April 16, 1844
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: October 12, 1924
Anatole France was a French poet, novelist, and journalist. Renowned for writing many best-sellers, Anatole France was one of the most respected French writers of his generation. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1921 for his brilliant literary achievements.
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Günter Grass(German Novelist & Nobel Prize Laureate, Best Known for His 1959 Novel, 'The Tin Drum')
Birthdate: October 16, 1927
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Free City of Danzig, Poland
Died: April 13, 2015
Günter Grass was a German novelist, illustrator, graphic artist, poet, playwright, and sculptor. A much revered and decorated writer, Grass was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. Over the course of his illustrious career, Günter Grass won many other awards, including the Georg Büchner Prize and the Hermann Kesten Prize.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 20, 1923
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Transvaal, South Africa
Died: July 13, 2014
Nadine Gordimer was a South African political activist and writer. Gordimer, who wrote extensively on racial and moral issues such as apartheid in South Africa, was honored with the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. An important member of the anti-apartheid movement, Nadine Gordimer's advice to Nelson Mandela led to his famous 1964 defense speech, which eventually led to his conviction.
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Peter Handke(One of the Most Influential and Original German-Language Writers Known for His Work 'Offending the Audience')
Birthdate: December 6, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Griffen, Austria
Peter Handke is an Austrian novelist, poet, translator, playwright, screenwriter, and film director. One of the most respected personalities in Austria, Handke has won several prestigious awards over the course of his career. In 1973, he was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize. In 1987, he won the Vilenica International Literary Prize. In 2019, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 21, 1902
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Leoncin, Congress Poland
Died: July 24, 1991
Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer is best remembered for his short stories and novels that mirrored Jewish life with a tinge of irony. Born into a family of rabbis, he got a traditional education and later became a journalist. His works include the iconic novel The Family Moskat.
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Dario Fo(Winner of 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: March 24, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sangiano, Italy
Died: October 13, 2016
Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, best remembered for the play Mistero Buffo, donned many hats and made his presence felt as an actor, stage director and designer, and painter. He and his wife, actor Franca Rame, did everything from writing sketches for the show Canzonissima to founding theater companies.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: April 7, 1889
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vicuña, Chile
Died: January 10, 1957
Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and educator Lucila Godoy Alcayaga was better known by her pseudonym, Gabriela Mistral. The suicide of her first love inspired her poem Dolor. Her diplomatic assignments later took her to places such as Madrid and Lisbon. She is remembered for her emotional verses and her feminism.
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Joseph Brodsky(Poet, Essayist and Winner of 1987 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: May 24, 1940
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: January 28, 1996
Nobel Prize-winning Russian-American poet Joseph Brodsky is remembered for his elegiac and lyric poems. While he had started writing poems soon after leaving school, he was sentenced to hard labor by the Soviets for his irregular work record. He later moved to the U.S., where he taught at various universities.
Recommended Lists:43
Knut Hamsun(One of the Most Influential Norwegian Writers & Winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.)
Birthdate: August 4, 1859
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lom Municipality, Norway
Died: February 19, 1952
Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, a leading figure of neo-romanticism, is best remembered for his novel Hunger, which narrated the tale of a starving writer. With little education, he had started his career as a shoemaker’s apprentice. He supported the Nazi occupation of Norway and was later imprisoned.
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Yasunari Kawabata(Novelist)
Birthdate: June 11, 1899
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Osaka
Died: April 16, 1972
Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose subtly-shaded prose works earned him the 1968 Nobel Prize for Literature, making him the first Japanese writer to receive the prestigious award. Yasunari Kawabata played a major role in the translation of Japanese literature into several Western languages including English. His works are still read all over the world.
Recommended Lists:45
Henryk Sienkiewicz(Polish Writer Who Won the '1905 Nobel Prize in Literature')
Birthdate: May 5, 1846
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wola Okrzejska, Poland
Died: November 15, 1916
Henryk Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and novelist best remembered for his historical novels. He was the author of the internationally known best-seller Quo Vadis. Beginning his career as a journalist, he soon became one of the most popular Polish authors of his era. He was awarded the 1905 Nobel Prize in Literature for his contribution to literature.
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Selma Lagerlöf(First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: November 20, 1858
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mårbacka, Värmland, Sweden
Died: March 16, 1940
Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish teacher and author. In 1909, Lagerlöf became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1914, she became the first woman to be elected as a member by the Swedish Academy. In 1991, Selma Lagerlöf was depicted on a Swedish banknote, becoming the first woman to enjoy this honor, albiet posthumously.
Recommended Lists:47
Ivo Andric(Novelist, Poet & Short Story Writer Who Won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: October 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dolac, Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Died: March 13, 1975
Ivo Andric was a Yugoslav short story writer, poet, and novelist. Andric won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature after the Nobel Committee chose him over writers like Robert Frost, E. M. Forster, John Steinbeck, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After receiving the award, Andric's works were translated into several languages as they found an international audience.
Birthdate: June 30, 1911
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Šeteniai, Lithuania
Died: August 14, 2004
Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American poet Czesław Miłosz, known for the iconic Poem of Frozen Time, had made a lucky escape during the German invasion of Poland but had gone back using fake documents to be with his wife, Janina. He later became a Polish diplomat and also taught in the US.
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Kenzaburō Ōe(A Major Figure in Contemporary Japanese Literature and Winner of 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature )
Birthdate: January 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ōse, Ehime, Japan
Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer whose essays, short stories, and novels deal with social, philosophical, and political issues such as nuclear power, nuclear weapons, existentialism, and social non-conformism. An influential personality in contemporary Japanese literature, Kenzaburō Ōe was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994 for his works.
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Mo Yan(Novelist & Short Story Writer)
Birthdate: February 17, 1955
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Gaomi, Shandong, China
Nobel Prize-winning Chinese author Mo Yan is best known for his novel Red Sorghum Family, which was later made into a film. His novel Big Breasts and Wide Hips was dragged into controversy for its sexual content, and the Communist Party made Yan withdraw the book from publication.
