Writing for their suppers

Mao Dun Literature Prize winner Liu Xinglong says the money he was paid for a novella he wrote wasn't even enough to treat his friends for a meal.

His words have made literary circles and publishing industry insiders worry that poor remuneration could cost contemporary Chinese literature sustainable originality.

In response, Liu Binjie, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication and the National Copyright Administration, revealed in a recent interview with China National Radio that the remuneration standard for published written works would be raised.