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Chi Li

チー・リー

Chi Li

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1957-05-30 （Xiantao, Hubei, China）
Nationality
China
Languages
Chinese
Residence History
Wuhan, Hubei, China

Career

Occupations
novelist, writer
Active Years
1986-

Education

Wuhan University
Department of Chinese Literature
Period: 1982-1986
Year of Graduation: 1986
Country: China
Graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Life Show

Novel (urban contemporary fiction)

A story centered on the owner of a small restaurant on Jiqing Street in Wuhan, depicting urban life and intimate human relationships.

urban lifefamilysurvival
Adaptations
  • [Film] Life Show

Comes and Goes

Novel / domestic drama

A multi-perspective story of extramarital affairs in Wuhan, exploring love, betrayal, and social values.

adulteryfamily relationshipsurban interpersonal relations
Adaptations
  • [TV series] Comes and Goes (TV)

Don't Talk about Love

Novel / family drama

A work depicting two antithetical families taking totally different attitudes toward their children's love, comparing perspectives on love.

familydifferences in views of loveethics
Adaptations
  • [TV series] Don't Talk about Love (TV)

The Sun Was Born

Novel

A work related thematically to 'Don't Talk about Love'; detailed information is limited.

familycoming of age

Good Morning, Lady

Short stories / serial

A set of works focusing on women's daily life and relationships, adapted into a 20-episode TV series.

female perspectiveeveryday life
Adaptations
  • [TV series] Good Morning, Lady (TV)

Willow Waist

Short story / novel

A story dealing with women's bodies and social roles. Detailed information is limited.

womenphysicality

Cold or Hot, It's Good to Live

1990 Short stories / essayistic

Published in 1990. A collection of short stories and essayistic pieces reflecting on the nuances of living.

lifeeveryday

Bibliography

  • Life Show
  • Comes and Goes
  • Don't Talk about Love
  • The Sun Was Born
  • Good Morning, Lady
  • Willow Waist
  • Cold or Hot, It's Good to Live

Adaptations

  • Life Show (film)
  • Comes and Goes (TV series)
  • Don't Talk about Love (TV series)
  • Good Morning, Lady (TV series)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
urban realismconversational contemporary prosedetailed depiction of social life
Recurring Motifs
urban everyday lifefamily and romantic relationshipssurvival and small joys

Legacy

Chi Li is a prominent contemporary Chinese writer associated with Wuhan-centered narratives; her novels about family and urban life have been widely adapted into films and TV series.

In Popular Culture

  • Known to the general public through the film adaptation of 'Life Show' and several TV adaptations.

Trivia

  • Participated in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa in 2014.
  • Some of her stories are set in Changtangkou (长埫口镇) in Xiantao, Hubei.