Internet Literature in China

Ever since the introduction of internet technology and World Wide Web protocols to China in the mid-1990s, the production of Chinese literary work on the Internet has flourished. Chinese writers in all genres and of all levels of sophistication, from the strictly amateur to the most highly acclaimed, have taken to the World Wide Web as a channel for the distribution and discussion of literary texts, as well as for the experimentation with new literary forms and processes. Online distribution of texts has replaced the old habit of publishing innovative or politically sensitive work through 'underground' or 'semi-official' printed publications; it has also provided previously unimaginable opportunities for amateur writers and aspiring avant-gardes to publish their work; and it has provided new audiences and new technologies to producers of popular (romance) literature.

Very little of this is known to western audiences, or studied by western scholars. The dominant view of the Internet in China, as presented in our media and other non-academic forums, is that of extreme repression, epitomized by the metaphorical 'Great Firewall of China.' As has been pointed out by Lokman Tsui (2008), this Cold War style metaphor (playfully referred to by Tsui as 'Iron Curtain 2.0') does very little to aid our understanding of Chinese internet censorship. Although the issue of censorship is important and needs to be considered in detail, it is equally important to avoid taking a one-sided view. From the perspective of a scholar of modern Chinese literature, the Internet is in fact the least censored environment for literary production currently available in China. Its contents present a richer variety of literary work in all genres than ever before available in the country. The monograph that will be the main outcome of this research will, first and foremost, present a thorough overview of those riches. As such it will promote a more complex understanding of contemporary Chinese culture among western audiences. This will be the first-ever book-length study of Internet Literature in China, and it will aim to address more than just an academic, sinological audience.

In terms of its scholarly context, this research builds on recent work by scholars such as Xudong Zhang (2008), Jason McGrath (2008) and Robin Visser (2010), who have fruitfully employed the concept of 'postsocialism' in order to refer to the complex mixture of market economy, residual socialist state rule, and postmodern playfulness that characterizes contemporary Chinese culture. The research also builds on my own earlier work on Chinese literary communities in the first half of the twentieth century and the change in literary practices following the introduction of cheap printing technologies and magazine publication. In terms of theory, the work will refer to the growing body of research on 'electronic literature' in other languages, pioneered especially by Katherine Hayles (2008).

I started my research on Chinese Internet Literature in 2003. In 2004 I applied for an AHRC (then AHRB) Research Leave Grant to support the project. My application was given an 'A+' ranking, but not funded because I was not then in the position to complete a book manuscript during the leave period. Now the research has developed and I am most definitely in the position to promise completion of a book-length manuscript by the end of the fellowship period. The relevance of this topic has only become more acute over the years, as the Internet has developed and the Chinese economy (including its culture economy) has grown unprecedentedly. I am convinced that my monograph will have a massive impact not only on scholarly circles but also on wider audiences. Most importantly, I am convinced, and I know from experience, that my work is also read and discussed in China itself, and contributes to the ongoingdebates about contemporary cultural there.

The most obvious non-academic beneficiaries of my research are the media. There is strong media interest in the topic 'China and the Internet.' In recent years I have given interviews to Channel 4, CNN, and The Guardian, as well as journalists from Norway and The Netherlands. I have also given interviews to the Chinese media, most recently following my speech on internet censorship at the 2009 Beijing Forum (an annual forum for scholars, diplomats, and business people discussing China's role on the global stage).

My research also has an impact on western cultural organizations and communities. I have for instance written introductions to Chinese internet literature for Pen International and for Poetry Review.

A third category of non-academic beneficiaries are global publishing and media companies. My expertise has in the past been called upon by consultants advising such companies on the potential risks and benefits of investing in the booming Chinese culture market.

Finally, my research has an impact on non-university educational institutions. The Chinese Internet is a popular topic for presentations at secondary schools where China-related projects are on the curriculum, or where pupils are studying Chinese.

Most of these beneficiaries are especially interested, as might be expected, in the phenomenon of 'internet censorship' and the metaphor of 'The Great Firewall of China.' The impact potential of my research lies most especially in my ability to reach beyond such stereotypes and to provide a more nuanced and complex description of the Chinese online world. The publication of my monograph -- the first English-language monograph on the topic -- will further cement my reputation as 'the' western expert in this field and should lead to increased impact on the media, as well as increased numbers of requests from schools, consultants, cultural institutions etc.

Ways in which I hope to promote such interest are described in the 'Pathways to Impact' document.