Born to factory workers in nanjing, lijia zhang seemed set to walk in her parents footsteps, heading to work at a rocket factory at age 17. She earned a masters degree from goldsmiths, university of. Lijia zhang or zhang lijia is a writer, journalist and public speaker. May 6, 2009 in china annals by the china beat 1 comment last june, nicole barnes of the china beat interviewed lijia zhang, author of the acclaimed book socialism is great. Is a testament to zhangs personal triumph over the controlled existence that was supposed to be her destiny. This is not to say that i didnt enjoy reading socialism is great. But as lijia zhang recounts in her extremely engaging memoir,socialism is great. Women from the young lijia to her grandmother worked. Socialism is great is an engrossing read, a page turner and full of little treasures about life and traits in china. Followup interview with lijia zhang, author of socialism. It was on june 2009, while hiking on the great wall above the hamlet of sancha near huairou north of beijing, that i met lijia zhang. She describes herself as a communicator between china and the world and has given talks at conferences about contemporary china and lectured at many top universities including stanford and harvard and the university of sydney. Followup interview with lijia zhang, author of socialism is.
Zhang s book is a personal memoir, not a political one. Her memoir is like a brilliant miniature illuminating the sweeping historical. A workers memoir of the new china by lijia zhang socialism is great. See all books authored by lijia zhang, including socialism is great a workers memoir of the new china, and lotus, and more on thriftbooks. In the mesmerizing debut novel lotus, a young woman defies her fate and escapes to the city and all it holds for herbe it love, danger, or destiny surviving by her wits alone, lotus charges headlong. Zhang was growing into adulthood during the birth pangs of new capitalism and democratization in china in the 1980s. Gertrude berg and american broadcasting, 19291956 by glenn d.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of lijia zhang books online. A pair of blackframed glasses came to reside on my small nose. Lijia zhang or zhang lijia born in may 1, 1964 in nanjing is a writer, journalist and public speaker. Her memoir is like a brilliant miniature illuminating the sweeping historical forces at work in. Her memoir is like a brilliant miniature illuminating the sweeping historical forces at. Mar 21, 2017 z hang lijia has moved from fact to fiction. Arundhati roy, author of god of small thing socialism is great.
Harpercollinspublishers india socialism is great a. She earned a masters degree from goldsmiths, university of london, and a. May 20, 2019 with a great charm and spirit, socialism is great. But this iron rice bowl life held little appeal to the adventurous young zhang, and a passion for english literature combined with a chance meeting at the forbidden city with the foreigner who would become her husband. Her articles have appeared in many international publications, including south china morning post, japan times, the independent, washington times, and newsweek. A song sung in companies on july 1st, the anniversary of the foundation of the chinese communist party, is also the title of the autobiography of zhang lijia, a worker in a.
Support for that theory might be seen in lijia zhang s socialism is great. Lijia zhang, a former rocket factory worker, is a journalist based in beijing. Lotus, lijiazhang shop online for books in australia. Its a great accomplishment, the life story of the author until her mid twenties, it reads like a novel with pace and drama and with clever jumps in the narrative. Born into a workingclass family in nanjing, zhang was pressured by her family into leaving school to take over her mothers relatively good job in. The book is not only a vivid account of the transformation and turmoil of the 80s, it is also a virtual encyclopedia of modern chinese family, social, economic, and political life. Socialism is great a workers memoir of the new china. To ask other readers questions about socialism is great.
She had just been to a meeting with her publisher to discuss her latest book, lotus, a novel about a young woman who moves more than 1,000 miles from her mountain village in sichuan to the bustling city of shenzeh in pursuit of adventure and good fortune. A workers memoir of the new china, a humorous account of her own extraordinary journey from factory worker to journalist and writer. Split is a centrallydivided layout for a professional online presence with a big image or video left with alongside content. A workers memoir of the new china by lijia zhang at. In 1980, zhang was a promising student hoping to become a journalist when her mother announced that the 16yearold would be replacing her as.
Support for that theory might be seen in lijia zhangs socialism is great. Lijia zhang with a great charm and spirit, socialism is great. The introduction, questions, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enliven your groups discussion of lijia zhangs extraordinary personal journey in socialism is great. Lijia zhang is a rocketfactory worker turned freelance journalist, social commentator and the author of socialism is great. Jan 18, 2009 this is not to say that i didnt enjoy reading socialism is great. Jan 22, 2010 but as lijia zhang recounts in her extremely engaging memoir, socialism is great. What we have is a memoir of a chinese woman called lijia zhang or zhang lijia, more properly, who was born during the cultural revolution of the midsixties. She coauthored china remembers oup, 1999 and her memoir socialism is. Lijia zhang worked as a teenager in a factory producing missi. I met with chinese writer lijia zhang on her visit to new york in march 2015. Dec 01, 2008 zhang lijia s engrossing memoir, socialism is great, is on my required reading list for students interested in china during the early years of reform and opening up. Apr, 2008 to forget my fear, i began to read books. Jan 20, 2017 in 2008, zhang published her memoir, socialism is great. Followup interview with lijia zhang, author of socialism is great.
With a great charm and spirit, socialism is great recounts lijia zhangs rebellious journey from disillusioned factory worker to organizer in support of the tiananmen square demonstrators, to eventually become the writer and journalist she always determined to be. Her writing has appeared in the new york times and newsweek, and she has been interviewed on cnn, npr, and the bbc. Zhang lijias engrossing memoir, socialism is great, is on my required reading list for students interested in china during the early years of reform and opening up. Feb 06, 2008 zhang lijia s engrossing memoir, socialism is great, is on my required reading list for students interested in china during the early years of reform and opening up. Author lijia zhang zeroes in on chinas underground sex. A workers memoir of the new china mapping her late blooming from monolingual wilful factory worker to bilingual provocateur, we have in lotus a first novel detailing the life and loves, trials and tribulations of a group of young migrant women sucked into south chinas sex industry. A workers memoir of the new china has been published in eight countries. A workers memoir of the new china reprint by lijia zhang isbn. One of them do not say we have nothing by madeleine thien looks. Because of the popularity of such books, zhangs memoir, with its arc of resistance and personal struggle, at first feels familiar. A novel 9781627795661 by zhang, lijia and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Lijia zhang books list of books by author lijia zhang. Lijia zhang, author of the memoir socialism is great, was inspired to write this novel upon learning that her grandmother had been sold into a brothel in her youth.
With a great charm and spirit, socialism is great recounts lijia zhang s rebellious journey from disillusioned factory worker to organizer in support of the tiananmen square demonstrators, to eventually become the writer and journalist she always determined to be. It is a very readable and interesting piece of autobiography, and its readability is largely down to the authors command of english. Jan 06, 2017 lijia zhang, author of the memoir socialism is great, was inspired to write this novel upon learning that her grandmother had been sold into a brothel in her youth. A song sung in companies on july 1st, the anniversary of the foundation of the chinese communist party, is also the title of the autobiography of zhang lijia, a worker in a missile factory in 19801990, later on a journalist. For zhang, however, neither cultural revolution nor mao himself is the primary focus. Lijia zhang, a former rocket factory worker, is a writer based in beijing. It is a memoir of a young woman who grew up in an impoverished chinese household a household chiefly managed by women, while the men of the house are either missing or whiling away time elsewhere. Jan 01, 2008 socialism is great is an ironic title. A lovely addition to some very fine contemporary writing coming out of china.