Zhang Jie 1937-

Born in Peking, Zhang Jie had a turbulent childhood after her father was condemned as a rightist in 1957. After graduating from university in 1956, she began to work but was later sent to the countryside for labour. She returned to Peking in 1972, and in 1978, with the guidance and support of the writer Luo Binji, she wrote her first short story, Cong senlin lai de haizi [The child from the forest], which won her a prize. The following year she published the story "Ai, shi bu neng wangji de" [Love must not be forgotten] which generated heated debate for its treatment of the subject of marriage and consolidated her reputation. Among her many works, Zhang has also been acclaimed for her novel Chenzhong de chibang [Leaden wings].

Works available in English: