Don''t Cry, Tai Lake: Inspector Chen 7

About Qiu Xiaolong

Qiu Xiaolong (pronounced 'Joe Shau-long') was born in Shanghai. The Cultural Revolution began in his last year of elementary school and out of school out of job he studied English by himself in a local park. In 1977 he began his studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai and then the Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing. After graduation he worked at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences as an associate research professor published poems translations and criticism and became a member of the Chinese Writers' Association. In 1988 he came to Washington University in St. Louis U.S. as a Ford foundation fellow to do a project on Eliot but after the Tiananmen tragedy of 1989 he decided to stay on. He then obtained a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Washington University and taught there. Having won several awards for his poetry in English he moved on to write a novel about contemporary Chinese society in transition which developed into the critically acclaimed award-winning Inspector Chen series. The series has been translated into sixteen languages. In addition Qiu Xiaolong has published a poetry collection several poetry translations and a collection of linked stories (also serialized in Le Monde). He lives in St. Louis with his wife and daughter.