Yan Lianke, an author based in Beijing, received the Franz Kafka Prize in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. It is awarded to authors whose works "appeal to readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture".

Yan began writing in 1978 and works include: Xia Riluo (《夏日落》), Serve the People (《為人民服務》), Enjoyment (《受活》), and Dream of Ding Village (《丁莊夢》). He has also published more than 10 volumes of short stories and his literature has been translated into many languages and published in several countries.

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