President, Shanghai Writers' Association; Vice-President, Chinese Writers' Association; Professor, Fudan University. Mid-1970s, started publishing stories; author of short stories, novelettes, novels, essays, plays and critiques, including: Baotown, Lapse of Time, Love in a Small Town, Love on a barren Mountain, Brocade Valley, The Song of Everlasting Sorrow & Tianxiang Mansion. Recipient: Shanghai Literature & Arts Award; 5th Mao Dun Literature Award; 1st Malaysia World Chinese Literature Huazhong Awards; 2001 and 2011 Taiwan China Times "Reading" Book Award; 2007; finalist, Man Booker Prize (2011).