Eternal Mountain Village

This book follows the protagonist, Ling Tianxing, as he grows up. The author begins with a metaphor: a large banyan tree in a mountain village, which survived the Wanjishan fire and remained standing, only to be struck by lightning and deemed dangerous and felled. The village's simple demeanor and memories seem destined to vanish in the tides of history and development. Confused, Ling Tianxing finds hope in literature, but his participation in the workers' movement also draws him into the crosshairs of authorities. He later meets his student, Wang Xiaolei, and they eventually marry and run a literary magazine together.

Fang Ran

A novelist, screenwriter, and director, he holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Manchester. His 2019 feature film, Intimacy, was selected for the Madrid International Film Festival and the following year's Asian Film Festival (Rome), where he was nominated for Best Newcomer. He has since focused on literary creation, with several of his novels published in British and American literary journals.