Born 1952 in Shaanxi Province, China. Lives in Xi’an.

Jia Pingwa, a contemporary writer, was born in Danfeng County, Shanglue City, Shaanxi Province, on Feb. 21, 1852. Jia Pingwa was born in rural area. His family was not a literary family and was not rich. All his family members were farmers. After his graduation from the Chinese Language Department of Northwest University in 1975, he worked as literature and art editor of Shaanxi People’s Publication House and editor of Chang’an, a monthly magazine of literature. Since 1982, he has been engaged in literature creation wholeheartedly and assumed posts such as councilor of the Chinese Writers Association and vice-chairman of Chinese Writers Association, Shaanxi Branch. His works include Child Soldier Short Stories, Sisters’ Stories, Notes in Mountainous Areas, Wildfire Collection, Stories in Shangzhou, Stories of Xiaoyue, December and January, Dog in Sky, Evening Song, Award-winning Novels of Jia Pingwa, Jia Pingwa’s Self-selected Novel Collection, long novel Shangzhou and Zhouhe, Fickleness, Abandoned City, White Night, autobiographical long novel I Am a Farmer, essay collection Traces of Moon, True Feelings, Trace of Love, Jia Pingwa Self-selected Essays and poetry collection Blankness. His work December and January won the 3rd National Excellent Novel Award of the Chinese Writers Association, and his work Full Moon won the National Excellent Short Story Award in 1978. Jia Pingwa won the Flying Horse Literature Award of the U.S. in 1988 and the Feminist Foreign Literature Award of France in 1997. Novels of Jia Pingwa describe rural areas in northwest China in the new era, especially its changes after the reform and opening up. His novels have wide visual scope, contain rich cultural and psychological contents of contemporary China, and boast regional features and clear structures.

Main experiences

Jia Pingwa graduated from the Chinese Language Department of Northwest University in 1975. After his graduation, he had been engaged in editor work for a couple of years. He had worked as literature and art editor of Shaanxi People’s Publication House and editor of Chang’an, a monthly magazine of literature. Since 1982, he assumed a post at Xi’an Art and Literature Union as a professional writer and engaged in literature creation. In 1992, he created the Beautiful Essay magazine. He also assumed the posts such as councilor of the Chinese Writers Association, vice-chairman of Chinese Writers Association, Shaanxi Branch and president of Xi’an Art and Literature Union. Currently, he is also editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Beautiful Essay and dean of the Department of Humanities of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology.

Main works

Long novels: Shangzhou, Fickleness, Pregnancy, Beautiful Cave, Abandoned City, White Night, Earth Door, Gao Village, Zhouhe, Heizhi, Memory of Wolf, Qinqiang, Happiness and Love Disaster Middle and short-novels: Child Soldier, Sister’s Stories, Song of the Morning, Notes in Mountainous Areas, Wildfire Collection, December and January, Stories of Xiaoyue, Famous Literature Works in New Era (Jia Pingwa Volume), Dog in Sky, Hometown, Stories in Shangzhou, Evening Song, Jia Pingwa Award-winning Novel Collection and Jia Pingwa Self-selected Novel Collection Essay collections: Trace of Moon, Trace of Love, True Feelings, Jia Pingwa Self-selected Essays, Buddha, Friends and My Little Peach Others: Autobiographical long novel I Am a Farmer Poetry collection: Blankness and Jia Pingwa Poetry Collection Related comments: Learning to Live, Building a House Where Dream Lives, Jia Pingwa and Sanmao Awards: December and January won the 3rd National Excellent Novel Award of the Chinese Writers Association; Full Moon won the National Excellent Short Story Award in 1978; Fickleness won the Flying Horse Literature Award of the U.S. in 1988; Abandoned City won the Feminist Foreign Literature Award of France in 1997; Qinqiang won the 7th Maodun Literature Award in 2008. In April 2006, Jia Pingwa won the honorable title of the Outstanding Writer of the Year at the 4th Chinese Language Literature Ceremony.