The Regulation of Literature in Modern China In brief Date - 20 FebruaryVenue - Room G.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Professor Michel Hockx (University of Notre Dame)Title - The Regulation of Literature in Modern China About the eventThis lecture focuses on examples of censorship in modern Chinese literature.Since the 1990s, scholars in New Censorship Studies have highlighted how all human communication inevitably takes place in contexts where social forces impose limits to free expression. Such studies show that, when it comes to culture, censorship is the norm rather than the exception, and it is a global phenomenon. The challenge for humanities scholars, especially those of us working on China, is to document, describe, contextualize, and analyze each instance of censorship, and to resist simplified judgments.Engaging with these theoretical suggestions through case studies from modern Chinese literary practice, this lecture will forge connections between censorship before and after the 1949 divide, between political censorship and moral censorship, and between print censorship and internet censorship. It also assesses the oversimplified representation of Chinese censorship in American and European discourses, considering it a form of censorship in itself, which discredits or silences Chinese writers and artists who refuse to be dissidents.About the speakerMichel Hockx is Professor of Chinese Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely, both in English and in Chinese, on topics related to modern Chinese literary culture, especially early 20th-century Chinese magazine literature and print culture and contemporary Internet literature. His monograph 'Internet Literature in China' was listed by Choice magazine as one of the “Top 25 Outstanding Academic Titles of 2015.” His latest book is 'Literature and Censorship in Modern China' (Routledge, 2026).How to attendThis lecture is open to all, and free to attend. No registration is required - just come along.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Feb 20 2026 14.00 - 16.00 The Regulation of Literature in Modern China A special guest lecture from Professor Michel Hockx (University of Notre Dame), exploring the concept of censorship in relation to modern Chinese literature. Room G.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
The Regulation of Literature in Modern China In brief Date - 20 FebruaryVenue - Room G.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Professor Michel Hockx (University of Notre Dame)Title - The Regulation of Literature in Modern China About the eventThis lecture focuses on examples of censorship in modern Chinese literature.Since the 1990s, scholars in New Censorship Studies have highlighted how all human communication inevitably takes place in contexts where social forces impose limits to free expression. Such studies show that, when it comes to culture, censorship is the norm rather than the exception, and it is a global phenomenon. The challenge for humanities scholars, especially those of us working on China, is to document, describe, contextualize, and analyze each instance of censorship, and to resist simplified judgments.Engaging with these theoretical suggestions through case studies from modern Chinese literary practice, this lecture will forge connections between censorship before and after the 1949 divide, between political censorship and moral censorship, and between print censorship and internet censorship. It also assesses the oversimplified representation of Chinese censorship in American and European discourses, considering it a form of censorship in itself, which discredits or silences Chinese writers and artists who refuse to be dissidents.About the speakerMichel Hockx is Professor of Chinese Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely, both in English and in Chinese, on topics related to modern Chinese literary culture, especially early 20th-century Chinese magazine literature and print culture and contemporary Internet literature. His monograph 'Internet Literature in China' was listed by Choice magazine as one of the “Top 25 Outstanding Academic Titles of 2015.” His latest book is 'Literature and Censorship in Modern China' (Routledge, 2026).How to attendThis lecture is open to all, and free to attend. No registration is required - just come along.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Feb 20 2026 14.00 - 16.00 The Regulation of Literature in Modern China A special guest lecture from Professor Michel Hockx (University of Notre Dame), exploring the concept of censorship in relation to modern Chinese literature. Room G.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
Feb 20 2026 14.00 - 16.00 The Regulation of Literature in Modern China A special guest lecture from Professor Michel Hockx (University of Notre Dame), exploring the concept of censorship in relation to modern Chinese literature.
