[Photo provided to China Daily]

"There is something about Ireland that was always very attractive to me. I think of Ireland as a lighthouse on the edge of Europe in the medieval period. So I always pictured it as a very quiet place where I could live like a hermit and study."

Bao says that she was probably the only Chinese face in her department at University College Dublin in the past decades.

"But it's the best thing that ever happened to me. Otherwise, there would not be such a book. Being alone helps writing."

Bao has also translated over a dozen books, many by Irish writers, including acclaimed Irish poet Harry Clifton and novelist Colum McCann.

The Irish experience has also influenced Bao's literary creations.

As a poet, Bao's works are inspired by Ireland. She published a poetry anthology I Sit on the Edge of the Volcano in 2016.