The Wild Land

Jia Pingwa is one of the best-known and most prolific novelists in contemporary China. The Wild Land brings together a collection of his most celebrated prose essays, each in their first English translation. Delving deep into his diverse preoccupations – fate, art, religion and interpersonal relationships – this richly rewarding anthology gives a fascinating insight into the mind of one of modern Chinese literature’s most revered sons.

Author Biography

Bestselling author Jia Pingwa is a formidable cultural figure in China, where he is widely regarded as one of the most important writers of his generation. Born in 1953, his early stories dealt with the countryside around his home city Shangluo in the Shaanxi region. In the 1990s, however, his novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction became more overtly political, outspoken and challenging to the prevalent climate of censorship, leading to his 1993 novel Ruined City being banned for 17 years by the State Publishing Administration, ostensibly for explicit sexual content.

As his writing became more confrontational, his audience grew exponentially. He also gained critical acclaim from the literary establishment, including winning the Mao Dun Literary Prize, one of the most prestigious writing awards in China, for Shaanxi Opera in 2008. When he’s not writing, he is a talented professional calligrapher and artist.