By Elsbeth van Paridon
China.org.cn, April 1, 2014
Dutch-Chinese author Lulu Wang is a true Beijinger by birth. She was born in the Chinese capital on Dec. 22, 1960, and moved to The Netherlands in 1986. Her big literary break came when she published “The Lily Theater,” giving an accurate and detailed account of the author’s childhood and teenage years, in 1997, selling almost 1 million copies in The Netherlands alone. The debut also gained her several awards, including the 1999 International Nonino Prize. Ever since she tasted that first bite of success, Wang has continued publishing novels, short stories and poetry on a regular basis.
Lulu Wang, Beijing-born, Holland-resident (and successful) author.
Aside from her many literary efforts, Wang has ventured into the fields of publishing in recent years, Lulu Wang Publishing (2012), short films and book apps. One example of the latter, at the same time adding a new twist to her writing, was her 2013 publication “Summer full of Love” (originally called “Zomervolliefde” in Dutch or “爱满夏天” in Chinese).
The work was a bilingual (Dutch-Chinese) multimedia book application featuring short poems about love, a song and a short film. Nevertheless, this was not by any means Wang’s first multi format release; in 2012, she became one of the first literary authors to release a full-on interactive multimedia publication in the form of “Holland, wo ai ni” (originally “Nederland, wo ai ni”) on both the national and international level.
At this very moment, Wang is putting the final touches on her soon to be released (March 2014) “Adam and Eve in China” (originally “Adam en Eva in China”), a non-fictional work in which she promises “to add two new dimensions fans may not be expecting from her.” The work will become available as a free e-book, and will also be offered in other formats.
Since 2013, Wang returned to her birth roots and took up a column for the leading Chinese magazine Shijie Bolan, a publication discussing all that lies abroad. From August last year onwards, she could add Shijie Zhishi magazine to that list as well. For both magazines, Wang mainly discusses life, and all it entails, in Holland and Belgium.
Aside from the books, short films, poems, columns and all the other items mentioned above, Wang is also active in the field of lecturing, giving various lectures about Chinese culture, the (possible) cultural differences between The Netherlands and China and related topics. In doing so, Wang hopes to forge a bridge between Western and Chinese cultures. I for one look forward to reading what Adam and Eve will get up to in China. Beijing, in Wang you have found a true multinational and multi-faceted ambassador.