Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.1, 2024

Reflection, Topic and Space: A Discussion on 20-Years of Urban Literature by the Post-1990s Writers

(Abstract)

Jin Xin

Urban literature by the post-1990s generation has developed for 20 years, which can be divided into three stages. In the first stage, Zhang Mudi, Gu Wenyan and others entered the literary realm by means of essay competition at a very young age. Under the guidance of urban rationality, they cast their insights on urban life with beautiful language, rich imagination and skillful techniques. In the second stage, writers such as He Tianbai and Su Xiaoyan shifted the focus of urban literature writing from perception to reality, trying to explore heated urban topics within their familiar aspects of life. In the third stage, Wang Zhanhei, Zheng Zaihuan and other writers revisit the cities as new comers and construct urban space by searching for forgotten corners, breaking down the barriers between cities and the countryside, and innovating narrative techniques.