Zhang Tianyi (Chang T'ien-yi) [real name Zhang Yuanding] 1906-1985

A writer of short stories known for his satiric wit. Born in Nanjing, his family had to move house several times because of straitened circumstances and this provided him with contacts with different social classes and dialects which he later used in his writing when he moved to Peking. Before the Sino-Japanese War he worked as a teacher, journalist and minor official. He continued to write through the war and after the establishment of the PRC he held various official posts, including the editorship of Renmin wenxue [People's Literature].

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