author
Dafu Yu
1896–1945
A leading voice of modern Chinese literature, this writer brought emotional honesty and restless self-examination to fiction in the early twentieth century. His stories helped shape the spirit of the May Fourth era and still feel strikingly personal.
1 Audiobook
沉沦
by Dafu Yu
About the author
Born in Fuyang, Zhejiang, in 1896, Yu Dafu was a Chinese short story writer and poet who became one of the important literary figures of the May Fourth period. He studied in Japan before returning to China, and he was among the founding members of the Creation Society, a group that promoted new literature and fresh literary expression.
He is especially remembered for fiction that drew on personal feeling and psychological conflict. Works such as Sinking made him widely known for a candid, introspective style that stood out in modern Chinese writing of the 1920s.
Later in life, he remained active in cultural and political circles, and he died in 1945 in Sumatra during the Second World War. His writing continues to be read as an important bridge between classical traditions and modern literary sensibilities in China.