On the afternoon of December 11, 2025, the 23rd session of the Art and Literature Forum was successfully held at the Hong'ai Lecture Hall of Zhongda Building, Suiyuan Campus. Co-sponsored by Nanjing Normal University and Yilin Press, the forum was undertaken by the School of Chinese Language and Literature of Nanjing Normal University, and the Library of Nanjing Normal University.

The keynote speaker of this forum was Ms. He Xiangyang, a member of the Presidium of the China Writers Association, a recipient of the "Four Batches" Talents Program for leading figures in the national publicity and cultural system, as well as a renowned scholar and poet. She has published works such as "A Moment," "As Before," "Bathing in Snow Through Spring and Autumn," and "Pilgrimage Stories or On the Road," and has been awarded the Lu Xun Literature Prize and the Zhuang Zhongwen Literature Prize, among others. The theme of the lecture was "Why I Write."Lu Zhizhou, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Yilin Press, Professor He Ping from the School of Chinese Language and Literature of Nanjing Normal University, and Jiao Yakun, Deputy Director of the Chinese Literature Publishing Center, Yilin Press, attended the event. All master's and doctoral students majoring in Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature at the School of Chinese Language and Literature of Nanjing Normal University were present to study.

In the lecture, Ms. He Xiangyang focused on the core proposition and thoroughly interpreted the essence of literary creation. She proposed that literary creation stems from the adherence to inner beliefs and is a sincere appeal of writers to the world. This belief keeps creation pure amid noise, while clear appeals endow words with lasting vitality. She cited the writing concepts of Ba Jin, Ding Ling, Voltaire, Balzac, Duras, Sontag, Orwell, and other writers, elaborating that literary creation, as a spiritual tower, requires writers' efforts to construct. On one hand, writing arises from the soul's desire for truth; on the other hand, as a profession, writing demands creators to consciously endure, take responsibility for, and elevate the real environment they live in.

She also talked about the creative practice of Chinese female writers. Taking Tie Ning, Wang Anyi, Chi Zijian, and other writers as examples, Ms. He Xiangyang analyzed how female writers capture the fate of individuals amid social changes from a unique perspective, and how their works not only carry personal life experiences but also record the spiritual trajectory of the times. Combining her own creative experience and literary observations, Ms. He Xiangyang pointed out that female writing has always maintained a tenacious expressive power in the tide of the times. With delicate perception and profound thinking, female writers have built a unique literary world at the intersection of history and reality.

Finally, Ms. He Xiangyang shared her creative insights, encouraging young writers to take root in life to draw nourishment and uphold their inner reverence and love for literature.

Host Professor He Ping summarized the lecture. He highly praised Ms. He Xiangyang's sharing for its both ideological depth and emotional warmth, noting that it not only clarified the core propositions of literary creation but also provided valuable creative inspiration for teachers and students present. Professor He Ping pointed out that Ms. He Xiangyang's interpretation of literary beliefs and appeals, as well as her analysis of the relationship between female writing and the times, offered important ideas for young literary creation and research. The lecture concluded successfully with warm applause.(Written and photographed by Zhang Ruihong)