Li Zi Shu
A Leading Contemporary Chinese Writer
About Li Zi Shu
From journalist to novelist, Li Zi Shu has always written with a pen both tender and incisive, capturing the streets, people, and silences of Malaysia. Her early years in journalism allowed her to witness the joys and struggles of different social classes up close, giving her characters a vividness that feels as if they live right beside us.
Growing up in a family shaped by strong female voices, she understands both the struggles and resilience of women. Many of her works place women at the centre, revealing the hidden violence and unspoken struggles within society. Gaobie de Niandai (The Age of Farewell) experiments with narrative to confront historical trauma, while Liu Su Di (Flowing Through the Fallow Land) blends warmth and realism to portray the unseen shadows and lights of an entire generation's everyday life.
Her works have been translated and adapted, steadily reaching global audiences. Stories rooted in "small places" find wider echoes. Her writing crosses borders but remains firmly grounded in the local — proving that local memories and fragments of daily life can become a powerful literary bridge to the world.