Chang Tien-I

Born 1906 in Nanking. Chinese writer.

Chang T’ien-i served as a deputy in the National People’s Congress of China. His published works include the novels One Year (1933) and In the City (1935), the novellas Notes From the World of the Spirits (1931) and On Ch’ing-ming Day (1936), and the short-story collections The Bees (1933), Moving (1934), Finale (1935), and Stories About Strange People (1936). Chang T’ien-i was psychologically convincing in his depiction of the intellectual who is torn by contradictions. The author voiced his opposition to militarism, corruption, bribery, and careerism. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1937–45 he wrote satirical works, such as the short story “Mr. Hua Wei” (1938).

After the establishment of the Chinese People’s Republic in 1949, Chang T’ien-i edited the journal Jen-min wen-hsueh (People’s Literature). He also wrote children’s books—The Story of Lo Wen-ying (1954; Russian translation under the title Young Pioneer Friends, 1956), Big Lin and Little Lin (1949; Russian translation, 1958), and The Secret of the Precious Pumpkin (1949; Russian translation, 1958).

Information about Chang T’ien-i has been unavailable since the mid-1960’s.