Explore the remarkable literary achievements of Nobel Prize in Literature laureates from East Asia who have shaped global literature. “Pen, Ink, and Prestige” highlights the transformative works and lasting influence of Yasunari Kawabata 川端 康成 (winning year 1968), Kenzaburō Ōe 大江 健三郎 (1994), Gao Xingjian 高行健 (2000), Mo Yan 莫言 (2012), and Han Kang 한강 韓江 (2024).

Featuring original editions, translations, biographies, and multimedia materials that illuminate the laureates’ lives and literary legacies, this exhibit invites you to reflect on how literature transcends borders and languages, how these groundbreaking writers negotiate East Asian literary traditions in their works, and how they grapple with identity, social change, and the human condition.

Join us for Third Thursdays at the U-M Library, a monthly open house where we share materials from our collections.

While you’re here, pick up a Third Thursday Passport and collect a stamp from each of the four Third Thursday Open Houses — Asia Library, Clark Library, International Studies, and Special Collections Research Center — to win a prize!