Ask the Author: Lijia Zhang
Answered Questions (10)
Lijia Zhang
thank you for your kind words, Abigail. how is your Chinese level? if you can read Chinese, you can dig out a lot more info from the Chinese books in libraries here.
good luck. I also admire what you do. in some ways, we are both trying to give voice to those don't have a public voice.
if you ever come to Beijing, let me know.
good luck. I also admire what you do. in some ways, we are both trying to give voice to those don't have a public voice.
if you ever come to Beijing, let me know.
Lijia Zhang
I'll be reading for my two book groups. so I'll be reading 'Hong Long is Long' by woman writer Tie Ling.
I've given quite a few books for my birthday. One of them "Do not Say We Have Nothing" by Madeleine Thien looks great. So will take this to my beach holiday in Thailand. I'll also take "The age of Anger' by P. Mishira.
I read both fiction and non-fiction, in Chinese and in English.
I have an on-going project of re-reading classics. so War and Peace!
I've given quite a few books for my birthday. One of them "Do not Say We Have Nothing" by Madeleine Thien looks great. So will take this to my beach holiday in Thailand. I'll also take "The age of Anger' by P. Mishira.
I read both fiction and non-fiction, in Chinese and in English.
I have an on-going project of re-reading classics. so War and Peace!
Lijia Zhang
Thank you for your questions, Jennifer. Yes, I did huge amount of research. Keenly aware that my middle-class urban existence is so removed from that of a migrant-worker, I knew I needed serious research.
I interviewed sex workers in Shenzhen, Dongguang, a neighboring city, Beijing and other cities where my travels took me to. I tried to make friends with them. But it is challenging. Their lives are very transient as they change from one massage parlor to another, from one city to another; they change their mobile numbers or they simply vanish.
My breakthrough came when I met a woman who called herself Lanlan at a conference on sexuality at Renmin University in Beijing. Lanlan, a former-sex-worker, now runs a NGO dedicated to female sex workers. She allowed me to work for her organizations as a volunteer. By doing so, I met and befriended quite a few girls. Some of them slowly opened up to me and shared many insightful details with me. I described this experience for Refinery 29. http://www.refinery29.com/amp/2017/01...
I interviewed sex workers in Shenzhen, Dongguang, a neighboring city, Beijing and other cities where my travels took me to. I tried to make friends with them. But it is challenging. Their lives are very transient as they change from one massage parlor to another, from one city to another; they change their mobile numbers or they simply vanish.
My breakthrough came when I met a woman who called herself Lanlan at a conference on sexuality at Renmin University in Beijing. Lanlan, a former-sex-worker, now runs a NGO dedicated to female sex workers. She allowed me to work for her organizations as a volunteer. By doing so, I met and befriended quite a few girls. Some of them slowly opened up to me and shared many insightful details with me. I described this experience for Refinery 29. http://www.refinery29.com/amp/2017/01...
Lijia Zhang
My debut novel Lotus was inspired by the revelation in front of my beloved grandma's deathbed that she served as a courtesan in her youth.
Lijia Zhang
George Orwell listed four reasons for writing:
egoism.
Aesthetic enthusiasm.
Historical impulse.
Political purpose.
These are pretty much the reasons that inspire me to write.
egoism.
Aesthetic enthusiasm.
Historical impulse.
Political purpose.
These are pretty much the reasons that inspire me to write.
Lijia Zhang
I am working on my next book project - a non-fiction on China’s left behind children, referring to the children of migrant workers. Currently, there are 61 million children living in villages across the country without both or one parent. Focusing on a rural community in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, the book will examine the human cost of China economic miracle.
Lijia Zhang
Just go ahead and write.
Lijia Zhang
Attending to literature festivals around the world!
Lijia Zhang
have a swim and massage
Lijia Zhang
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, because they are finally on the equal footing and since they both have suffered, they'll likely learn to cherish and respect each other.
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