Lijia Zhang 张丽佳 | |
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Born | Nanjing, China | May 12, 1964
Occupation | Writer, journalist, public speaker |
Nationality | Chinese |
Education | Goldsmiths, University of London (MA) |
Period | 1999 – present |
Literary movement | Memoir |
Notable works | "Socialism Is Great!": A Worker's Memoir of the New China |
Website | |
zhanglijia |
Lijia Zhang (Chinese: 张丽佳; pinyin: Zhāng Lìjiā; born May 12, 1964, in Nanjing) is a Chinese 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. She has given lectures at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of Sydney.[2]
As a child, Zhang wanted to become a writer. At the age of 16, she left school and began working in a factory. During the decade at the factory she taught herself English.[3] In 2003, she was able to attend Goldsmiths, University of London, where she earned a master's degree in creative writing.[4]
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,[5] was published by Atlas & Co. and Random House and has been translated into seven languages. During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 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 United States Department of State, she was a fellow on the University of Iowa's International Writing Program in 2009.[6] Her first novel, Lotus, about prostitution set in modern day Shenzhen, was published in 2017.[7]
Zhang was married to Calum MacLeod, a British reporter for USA Today. In 2018, she moved from Beijing to London with her two daughters.[8][9]