The brother of Chinese writer Mo Yan has affirmed how their late mother had great influence on the writing of the Nobel laureate, who was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm on Monday.

Guan Moxian, the eldest brother of Mo Yan, pen name for Guan Moye, said their mother's virtue of selflessness had shaped and influenced Mo and made him write with compassion.

"She would share her food with others no matter how starved she was herself," Guan said, recalling how their mother used to give scarce food to beggars in times of hunger.

In a lecture given at the Swedish Academy last week, Mo talked about how he started storytelling as a child and shared with listeners his memories of childhood and his mother, "the person who is most on my mind at this moment."

"I feel that my mother is part of the land on which I am now standing. I am speaking on this land, and I feel I am talking to my mother," Mo said in the lecture.

The 57-year-old writer has long become known for his low-key attitude, even after he won the Nobel prize.

"He is an ordinary person and an ordinary writer. Even after winning the prize, he remains a man who simply makes a living through writing," according to Guan Moxian.

In his lecture, Mo said: "My heart is like a giant rock that no wind can shake an inch."

"He is acting in the right way," his brother said.

After winning the prize, Mo returned to his hometown in Gaomi and visited his mother's grave.

"He is the son of a peasant, and he remains so after he won the award," Mo's father said. Endi