Han Han
Han Han (韩寒)
Chinese author and blogger Han Han, famous for his rebellious stance and sharp commentaries, was recently named one of the "50 People who matter in 2010" by British magazine the New Statesman.
Han Han left his Shanghai high school early after flunking exams twice in succession. Shunning a university education, he instead took up writing and rally driving.
He first came to public attention when he won first prize of the national New Concept Writing Competition with his essay Seeing Ourselves in a Cup. His talent and nonconformist views soon made him an icon among the post-80s generation that grew up during China's reform and opening-up. In the next few years he wrote a series of best sellers, including, the Triple Door, Like a Speeding Youth, Riot in Chang'an City and 1988 -- I Want to talk with the World.
After publishing several books Han Han became absorbed in motor racing. But although he writes less than before, his blog on current affairs attracts millions of readers and often ignites fierce debate.
In March 2006, the Chinese literary critic and bookseller Bai Ye published a blog - the Status and Future of the Post 80s - criticizing the works of Han Han's generation of writers. Han Han wrote a sarcastic reply criticizing the pretensions of China's literary circle. A full scale literary row erupted with Bai soon reinforced by Lu Tianming, his director son Lu Chuan, and musician Gao Xiaosong. But the battle ended with victory for Han Han and the full-scale retreat of Bai and his supporters.
On July 6, 2010, Han made his first foray into magazine publishing with Party, a literary journal that sold 500,000 copies within a week. Despite its huge success, on December 26, 2010, the magazine's executive editor Ma Yimu announced there would be no second issue, and said the editorial team had been dismissed. The announcement sparked a frenzy of speculation about the reasons for Party's demise. According to the Liaoshen Evening News, it cannot be excluded that the apparent collapse of the magazine may turn out to be an unorthodox promotional tactic.
