English introduction of Lulu Wang, author in Dutch and Chinese

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA中posteralleboeken van Lulu

English introduction of Lulu Wang (based on Wikipedia)

Lulu Wang was born on 22 December 1960 in Beijing, China. Her mother was a teacher of literature and her father is also an intellectual. At Peking University, Wang studied subjects including English language, literature and linguistics. After graduation, she taught at the university before moving to the Netherlands in 1986, at the age of 26; there she taught Chinese at the Hogeschool Zuyd in Maastricht.

Writing career

In 1997, she published her semi-autobiographical debut novel, Het Lelietheater (“The Lily Theatre”), which is strewn with Chinese-language proverbs and rhymes, written in Dutch, and later translated and published the of language of 28 countries. The novel sold over 800,000 copies in the Netherlands and earned her the Gouden Ezelsoor in 1998 for the bestselling literary debut work; the following year, it won a prestigious International Nonino Prize at the Salzburg Easter Festival. In 1997, she was noted to be the best-selling Dutch-language author. In 2000 her novel The Lily Theatre appeared in the famous list of the New York Times ‘Honderd and One Most Readable Books of the Year’.

“For a while, her name was virtually the only one an average Dutch reader could produce when asked to name a Chinese writer.”

Her 2010 novel, Wilde rozen is, like her debut, a book based on her life in China; this time, the main character is twelve-year-old Qiangwei, who grows up during the Cultural Revolution. Wang called it her most personal book yet. In 2012, she published Nederland, wo ai ni, a book app containing animations, music, and a discussion forum, also available as an e-book; it was later published in a printed version as well. A second book app was published in 2013, Zomervolliefde, a bilingual Dutch and Chinese publication including poems, illustrations, a song, and a short movie.

In addition to being a best-selling author, Wang works as a columnist for the international Chinese-language magazine World Affairs (Chinese: 世界知识, pinyin: Shìjiè Zhīshì). Lulu Wang gives often lectures about the Chinese culture and cultural differences between Europe and China. In this way she tries to bring more understanding between the two parts of the world.

Awards

Gouden Ezelsoor (1998)
International Nonino Prize (1999) at the Salzburg Easter Festival

Selected works

(1997) Het lelietheater (The Lily Theatre)
(1998) Brief aan mijn lezers (Letter To My Readers)
(1999) Het tedere kind (The Tender Child)
(2001) Het Witte Feest (The White Party)
(2001) Seringendroom (Lilac Dream)
(2002) Het Rode Feest (The Red Party)
(2004) Bedwelmd (Intoxicated)
(2007) Heldere Maan (Bright Moon)
(2010) Wilde rozen (Wild Roses)
(2010) Lotusvingers (Lotus Fingers)
(2012) Nederland, wo ai ni (Netherlands, Wo Ai Ni)
(2013) Zomervolliefde (Summer Full Love/爱满夏天)
(2014) Adam en Eva in China (Adam and Eva in China)
(2015) Levenlangverliefd (Life Long in Love /情燃毕生)

(2016) Chineeslekker (Chinese Delicious)

(2018) Nederwonderland (Netherwonderland)