Wang Zengqi

Wang Zengqi (Chinese: 汪曾祺; pinyin: Wāng Zēngqí) (1920–1997) was a contemporary Chinese writer. He is famous for his short stories and essays. He is regarded as a successor of Beijing School Writers. He is also considered the last Chinese literary intelligentsia (中国最后一个士大夫).

Biography

Wang Zengqi was born in a squire family in 1920 in Gaoyou, Jiangsu province. In 1939, he enrolled into literature college of National Southwestern Associated University. He was tutored by Shen Congwen during his university life and then he started writing in 1940. After graduation, he became a teacher for several years in Kunming and Shanghai. And he published his first collection of short stories—邂逅集. In 1948, he got a job in a museum. He became an editor after he transferred to Beijing. During the Great Cultural Revolution he transferred to Zhangjiakou to do the grass-roots work. He had created several works when the revolution was over. After 1979, he restarted writing. Most of his representative works were created during the period.

Main works

Collections of short stories

• 邂逅集(1948)
• 羊舍的夜晚(1963)

Short stories

• 骑兵列传(1978)
• 受戒(1980)
• 大淖记事(National Excellent Short Story Award in 1981)
• 鸡鸭名家

Collections of essays

• 蒲桥集(1987)
• 汪曾祺小品