Liu Zhenyun
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Liu Zhenyun (born May 1958) is a Chinese novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his novel '' Someone to Talk To'' (awarded the 2011 Mao Dun Literature Prize) as well as his involvement with the many film adaptions of his books. Among these is '' I Am Not Madame Bovary'', produced in collaboration with director
Feng Xiaogang Feng Xiaogang ( zh, s=冯小刚, t=馮小剛, p=Féng Xiǎogāng; born 18 March 1958 in Beijing) is a Chinese filmmaker and actor. Rising to fame for directing comedies, Feng played a pivotal role in shaping the Chinese New Year films, with f ...
, a frequent collaborator of Liu. He is married to noted human rights activist Guo Jianmei.


Life and work

Liu grew up in the village of Laozhuang in Yanjin County,
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
, China. At age 14, he left his village and joined the army. At age 20, he took the national college entrance exam, achieved the highest score in Henan province, and was accepted at
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
. After graduation, he became a journalist. In the 1980s Liu began to concentrate seriously on his literary career, publishing his debut novella ''Tapu,'' in 1987. He went on to publish novels such as ''Hometown, Regime and Blood'' (故乡天下黄花), ''Anecdotes in the Hometown'' (故乡相处流传), ''Material and Spirit in the Hometown'' (故乡面和花朵), ''Nonsense Talk'' (一腔废话), ''Cell Phone'' (手机), ''The Cook, the Crook, and the Real Estate Tycoon'' (我叫刘跃进). His novels ''Someone to Talk To'' (一句顶一万句) and ''I Did Not Kill My Husband'' (我不是潘金莲) have sold over a million copies each. ''Someone to Talk To'' was awarded with Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2011 and has sold more than 1.6 million copies. He has also authored novellas such as ''A Small Town: Tapu'' (塔铺), ''Recruits'' (新兵连), ''The Office'' (单位), ''Ground Covered with Chicken Feathers'' (一地鸡毛), ''Remembering 1942'' (温故一九四二). Throughout the years, Liu's works have been translated into over 28 languages. Many of Liu's books have been adapted into TV series and movies. He has written the screenplays for some of them including: ''A Small Town: Tapu'', ''Ground Covered with Chicken Feathers'', ''The Cook, the Crook, and the Real Estate Tycoon'', '' Remembering 1942'', '' Someone to Talk To'', ''I Did Not Kill My Husband''. Several of these adapted films have been awarded in the film festivals around the world, including the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
, the
Rome Film Festival International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. From 2022, the festival was officially recognized as a competitive festival by the Internation ...
, the
Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...
, and the
Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Asia's oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies and filmmakers from different countries, and takes place in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens ...
, among others.


Themes and influences

Liu often credits his upbringing in Yanjin county as influencing his work, especially growing up in the shadow of the 1942 famine. He also is noted for including political criticism as well as advocating for social justice in his works.


Works


Awards

* 2011: Mao Dun Literature Prize, winner, ''Someone to Talk To''


External links

* Interviews with Liu Zhenyu

* List of works (in Chinese


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Zhenyun 1958 births Living people Chinese male novelists Mao Dun Literature Prize laureates Peking University alumni Writers from Xinxiang People's Liberation Army personnel