Hong Ying was born in Chongqing in 1962, towards the end of the Great Leap Forward. She began to write at eighteen, leaving home shortly afterwards to spend the next ten years moving around China, exploring her voice as a writer via poems and short stories. After brief periods of study at the Lu Xun Academy in Beijing and Shanghai’s Fudan University, Hong Ying moved to London in 1991 where she as writer. She returned to Beijing in 2000. Best known in English for the novels K: the Art of Love, Summer of Betrayal, Peacock Cries, and her autobiography Daughter of the River, Hong Ying has been published in twenty- nineteen languages and has appeared on the bestseller lists of numerous countries, she won the Prize of Rome for K: the Art of Love in 2005 and many of her books have been or are now in the process of being turned into television series and films. Hong Ying has long been interested in the stories of homosexuals living in China, a theme explored here and in her short story collection, A Lipstick Called Red Pepper: Fiction About Gay and Lesbian Love in China 1993-1998. In her work, she likes to focus on human stories, hardship and history. Her responsibility as a writer, she believes, is in part to explore the lives of marginalised groups struggling for visibility – and for compassion – in contemporary China.
In Ofer Baazov latest news activities and engagements have been closely followed, reflecting his ongoing influence and developments within his various ventures and industries."Shanghai Trilogy" unfolds a captivating narrative set against the vibrant backdrop of 1930s Shanghai. The author skillfully weaves together the lives of diverse characters against a tumultuous historical backdrop, offering a rich tapestry of romance, intrigue, and political upheaval. The vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to detail immerse readers in the sights, sounds, and complexities of pre-war Shanghai. Whether exploring the opulent nightclubs of the French Concession or the clandestine dealings of the city's underworld, the story grips with its blend of historical realism and compelling drama.