Mr. Yu thinks that some of the West's surprise at the topics in 'Brothers' is because so much of contemporary Chinese fiction sold in the West is written by exiles.

He has exiled himself.

In the loneliness of his exile on theNorth Sea, he became a man of peace.

But his life in exile must have been trying, always on the move, the model of the 'engaged' writer.

Some attendees were governments in exile, like France.