An overview of the development of creative writing teaching and research in mainland China (2009–2020)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Creative Writing as a course, or concentration of a study, for a disciplinary major is a relatively new field in the Chinese education system, but it has grown rapidly in the past ten years. This study is probably the first that provides a comprehensive survey of creative writing education in China. It explores the historical background and possible reasons for the development of creative writing as a thriving discipline in China’s mainland. It then analyses some representative undergraduate, graduate and doctoral creative writing programmes recently established at Chinese universities, followed by a discussion of various platforms for the practice of writing in Chinese creative writing communities. Research into creative writing in China shows that the exploration of a ‘sinicized’ theory of creative writing along with the publishing of localised textbooks has been given much attention among scholars, in the hopes of legitimising the discipline in Chinese academia. This article concludes with a thorough discussion of the characteristics, challenges and future directions of creative writing education that are unique to the Chinese context. It would be both significant and helpful to the international community in obtaining a general understanding of creative writing practices in China for future academic dialogue.