A different stroke

CHINA DAILY Ling Yang in the South By: Di An Publisher: Changjiang Literature and Art Publishing House Publication year: 2014 Pages: 356 Price: 35 yuan ($5.60)

In the foreword to Ling Yang in the South, established writer Su Tong praises Di An's writing as skillful and experienced, and says that reading her book was enjoyable.

Under the influence of her intellectual parents, Di An developed a love for reading at a young age. Her favorite author, she says, is Eileen Chang (1920-95), who's among the country's most influential modern female literary voices.

In 2003, Di An enrolled in Paris' Sorbonne University, where she felt the craving to write, because of language barriers and the loneliness that often comes with living in a foreign country.

"I was alone in a place thousands miles away from home. ... I had never been so independent before and it was like I grew up overnight," she says.

"I was so lonely that I felt eager to express myself through writing."

The technique by which she learned French also helped her understand certain Chinese expressions better, she adds.

As she signs the multiple copies of her new book in different Chinese cities, Di An is happy that readers love her writing.