Zheng Yi (writer)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zheng.

Zheng Yi (Chinese: 郑义; born 10 March, 1947) is a Chinese writer and a notable figure of the scar literature.[1][2][3] Zheng served as the president of Shanxi Branch of the China Film Association, and the president of the Independent Chinese PEN Center.[4][5] Zheng's well-known works include Feng (The Maples), Old Well, Scarlet Memorial, and so on.[1][2] In particular, Feng and Old Well were adapted to films, which won the best film (Tokyo Grand Prix) in 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival and the best film in 1988 Hundred Flowers Awards, respectively.[6][7][8] Zheng moved to Hong Kong and then to the United States after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989.[1][3][9][10]

Biography

Zheng Yi was born in Chongqing in March 1947.[1][2][3] He grew up in Beijing and participated in the Cultural Revolution as a Red Guard, graduating from Tsinghua University High School in 1968.[2][3] He subsequently lived in Shanxi, Northeast China, and Inner Mongolia.[2][3] Zheng entered the Jinzhong Normal Junior College (晋中师专) in 1977 after the Cultural Revolution.[2][3]

In 1979, Zheng published short story Feng (The Maples), describing violent struggles among Red Guards and rebel factions during the Cultural Revolution, and the film adaption of the novel was released in 1980.[2][6][10] After graduating from college, Zheng became a journal editor in the Jinzhong Branch of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles in 1981.[2] He then published novella Distant Village (远村), which won the Best Novella Award in China in 1984, and Old Well, which was later adapted to film and won the best film (Tokyo Grand Prix) in 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival.[2][8][10]

However, Zheng Yi was wanted by the Chinese government for his active participation in the student movement in Tiananmen Square in 1989.[1][3][9][10] He and his wife Bei Ming (北明), who is also a writer, were arrested and detained until March 1990, and they fled to Hong Kong in 1992 and then to the United States in 1993.[1][3][9][10]

In July 1993, Zheng Yi's book Scarlet Memorial: Tales of Cannibalism in Modern China was published by Huashi in Taiwan; the book documented the massive cannibalism in Guangxi Massacre during the Cultural Revolution, becoming an instant best-seller.[11] In 2001, Zheng became the founding Vice President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (独立中文笔会), affiliated with the PEN International, and was elected its president in 2007.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Zheng Yi's "Old Well"". 8964 Museum. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "郑义 (1947.3.10—)" [Zheng Yi (1947.3.10—)]. China Writers Association. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "郑义特辑" [Special edition for Zheng Yi]. China News Digest. 1993-02-14. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25.
  4. ^ a b Zhang, Yu (2020-06-02). "ICPC Origin and Development". Independent Chinese PEN Center. Archived from the original on 2024-08-05.
  5. ^ "Zheng Yi". Beijing Spring. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04.
  6. ^ a b "Feng (The Maples)". IMDB. Emei Film Studio. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  7. ^ "第十一届《大众电影》百花奖获奖名单（1988）". China Film Association. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  8. ^ a b Reynaud, Bérénice (2013-09-22). "Stirring the Ripples: Wu Tianming's The Old Well (Lao jing)". Senses of Cinema. Archived from the original on 2024-08-27. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  9. ^ a b c "Zheng Yi - Tiananmen Square, 15 Years On". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  10. ^ a b c d e Ning, Xin (2016-11-25). "焦点对话：郑义专访之一：背着十字架的作家". Voice of America (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-06-09.
  11. ^ Chong, Key Ray (1997). "Review of Scarlet Memorial: Tales of Cannibalism in Modern China". China Review International. 4 (2): 599–602. ISSN 1069-5834.