Yu Yishuang, a writer popular among Chinese young people, was honored this month as one of the 15 "People's Literary Stars" as part of a national contest that selects talented authors under 30 based on how well they express the experiences of the youth through their literary works.
Born in Beijing in 1984, Yu uses the local dialect in order to compose stories that explore the darker side of relationships.
"I think there is a limit to creativity," Yu said in an interview with blogger Lv Lu. "I have some, like when I create characters and describe the character's evolution. But, at least in the past two years since I've been writing novels, I've realized that relationships are what I care about most. That's probably the most important thing in my life--not money or work--but people."
Yu has had two published works, "All That Is Solid Melts into Air," a collection of short stories published in 2014, and "The Clouds Resemble a Crippled Giraffe Without Horns or a Tail," a novel published in 2013.
A good number of readers are attracted to Yu's works because of their irreverent and emotionally complex narratives. Most of her short stories are about relationships and sexual encounters, although she does not include explicit scenes.
"As a writer, I often feel that I am exposing myself on the page, so if all of my readers also got that, I would be very afraid," said Yu.
When it comes to her own life, Yu believes that "growing up happens in an instant: like, the first time you lose a relative, or the first time after I drank and I went to the hospital because my liver was acting up, and I was just sitting outside of the hospital gate thinking I had cancer and was going to die; the first time you have sex, or the first time you try a morning after pill and realize that you don't actually want to make a family with your partner; the first time a family member is sick but doesn't tell you and all you can worry about is that other people will think you are too irresponsible.
"There's so much. I feel like I can't even say something is good or bad, just that whatever happens to other people will also happen to you."
The writer has been called a rebel for her tackling of sensitive topics, but she claims her own life is rather conservative.
Aside from writing short stories and novels, Yu has a day job as a vice editor for ifeng.com's culture channel under Phoenix News Media.