Willie Cheng

Willie Cheng is an acclaimed Chinese-Australian author, with a career that has spanned over 30 years. He is renowned for his unique writing style, blending elements of Chinese literature and philosophy with a modern Western sensibility. His works have been celebrated both in Australia and abroad, and his readership is increasingly growing.

Willie Cheng was born in Shanghai, China in 1959 and migrated to Australia in 1982. His education in China was heavily influenced by traditional Chinese literature, which has inspired much of his writing. He is a graduate of The University of Melbourne, and went on to pursue a postgraduate degree in Australian literature from The University of Sydney, which he completed in 1988.

His first novel, Celebration, was published in 1985. It is set in Shanghai and follows the story of a young Chinese man whose mother has been diagnosed with cancer. The novel explores themes of loss and the search for identity, and won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 1986.

Since then, Cheng has written several other novels and collections of short stories, as well as plays and poetry. All of his works feature aspects of Chinese culture, particularly the tension between traditional Chinese literature and current social and political events. His novel Doing Business in Shanghai (2004) follows a Chinese-Australian business tycoon who goes back to his hometown to conduct business, but is faced with the challenge of reconciling the differences between the East and West. His collection of stories, The Last to Return (2006) delves into the lives of Chinese immigrants whose identity conflicts arise from the experience of living within two different societies.

Cheng has served as a distinguished writer-in-residence at a number of colleges, including The University of Sydney, Macquarie University and The University of Technology Sydney. He has also been the recipient of many awards, including The Award for Nonfiction Achievement at the Australian Book Awards.

His most recent novel, Before We Left, was published in 2019 and has received critical praise for its thoughtful dialogues and its exploration of family, relationships, and the complexities of identity. The novel follows the story of Wai-yan, a young Chinese Australian girl growing up in Sydney in the '80s. As she navigates the overlapping cultural identities of being both Chinese and Australian, she is confronted with questions of belonging and finding her place in the world.

Willie Cheng's novels are an insightful read into the experiences of Chinese-Australians and the conflicts that arise when embracing cultural differences. His works provide an honest reflection of contemporary life and is a great way to gain a better understanding of the Chinese culture and its customs.