Gao Xingjian

Gao Xingjian (1940- ) is a Chinese-born playwright, novelist, painter, director, critic and translator. He lived in Europe since 1987, and was granted France citizenship in 1997. He was the recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Literature “for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama.” His groundbreaking play Bus Stop was premiered at Beijing People’s Art Theatre in 1983, and was soon banned by the country’s censor, due to the experimental nature of his play’s content and form. However, the play is highly regarded internationally and created a new page in China’s Theatre.