active 806-820 Su Liu

Active in the early ninth century, Liu Su is traditionally credited as the author of Da Tang Xinyu (New Anecdotes of the Great Tang), a collection of short historical and literary anecdotes about Tang dynasty figures. The book focuses on the lives, conversations, and conduct of emperors, ministers, and scholars, and is often valued for preserving details not fully captured in the standard dynastic histories.

Reliable biographical information about Liu Su appears to be scarce in the sources I could confirm here. Because of that, it is safest to describe the author mainly through the surviving work: a concise, lively compiler of stories whose writing helps modern readers picture the social world and intellectual life of the Tang court.

For listeners interested in Chinese history, Liu Su's appeal lies in that close-up perspective. Rather than offering a dry chronicle, Da Tang Xinyu gathers memorable episodes that make the period feel immediate, human, and full of character.