Lijia Zhang
Lijia Zhang (Zhang Lijia) 张丽佳 | |
---|---|
Born |
Nanjing, China | May 1, 1964
Occupation | Writer, journalist, public speaker |
Nationality | Chinese |
Education | Goldsmiths College (MA) |
Period | 1999 – present |
Literary movement | memoir |
Notable works | 'Socialism is Great!': A Worker's Memoir of the New China |
Website | |
www |
Lijia Zhang (Zhang Lijia) (born in May 1, 1964 in Nanjing) is a writer, journalist and public speaker. She describes herself as a communicator between China and the world[1] and has given talks at conferences about contemporary China and lectured at many top universities including Stanford[2] and Harvard and the University of Sydney.
Early in life she wanted to become a writer. At the age of 16 she had to start working in a factory instead of finishing her promising school career. During the decade at the factory she taught herself English.[3]
In 2003 she was able to attend Goldsmiths, University of London, England to study creative writing. Her articles have been published in many newspapers and magazines. She co-authored China Remembers (OUP, 1999) and her memoir 'Socialism is Great!' A Worker's Memoir of The New China,[4] is published by Atlas & Co. and Random House and has been translated into seven languages. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she served as a producer for the BBC crew reporting the games. She was the subject of a BBC TV documentary Peschardt's People. Sponsored by the US State Department, she was a fellow on the University of Iowa's International Writing Program in 2009.[5] Her first novel, Lotus, about prostitution set in modern day Shenzhen, was published in 2017.[6]
She is a regular guest on ABC, BBC and CNN. Zhang was married to Calum MacLeod, a reporter for USA Today. She currently lives in Beijing with her two daughters.[7]
References
- ↑ Barnes, Nicole E. (10 June 2008). "The China Beat". thechinabeat.blogspot.com.
- ↑ ""Socialism is Great!": From Rocket Factory Girl to International Media". Stanford Center for East Asian Studies. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
- ↑ Kahn, Joseph (13 April 2008). "Party Girl". New York Times.
- ↑ ""Socialism Is Great!": A Worker's Memoir of the New China: Lijia Zhang: 9780977743377: Amazon.com: Books". amazon.com.
- ↑ "2009 IWP Participants". The University of Iowa. 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
- ↑ Zimmerman, Jean (10 January 2017). "Earthy 'Lotus' Is A Fascinating Flower". NPR. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
- ↑ Zhang, Lijia. "About". lijiazhang.com.
External links
- Interview with Lijia Zhang, The Beijinger, March 10, 2008
- Writer and journalist Lijia Zhang, ABC, 5 September 2008
- Come the Workers!’, New York Times, May 30, 2009
- Speech at TEDx Beijing 2010
- Profile at China Speakers Agency