Zhang Xianliang is a Chinese author and poet famous for writing several novels, including: Mimosa, Grass Soup, Half of Man is Woman, and Getting Used tyo Dying, originally published just after the events delicately footnoted in the English translation as 'the Tiananmen Incident'. Zhang has suffered imprisonment many times throughout his lifetime. His book Half of Man is Woman alludes to the experiences he had in his own life after his numerous years in prison.

Early life

Zhang Xianliang was born in Nanjing into a middle-class family. His father was a Kuomingtang official and industrialist. He managed a number of large enterprises including a shipping company.