Dai Sijie was born on March 2, 1954. He is a Chinese and French writer and filmmaker who has lived in France since 1984. He writes in French. His first novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, was a best-selling book. It was written in French and has been translated into more than 25 languages.

Early life

Dai was born in Putian, Fujian, in 1954. His parents, Professor Dai Baoding and Professor Hu Xiaoyu, were professors of medical sciences at West China University. He grew up reading and thinking extensively. Dai was skilled in many areas, such as tailoring. The Maoist government sent him to a re-education camp in rural Sichuan from 1971 to 1974 during the Cultural Revolution. Although he was the only child in his family and could have been excused, he chose to attend the camp to experience the rigorous training. Much of this experience inspired his first book. After returning, he completed a certificate to become a teacher. He briefly taught at Chengdu's No. 16 High School when he enrolled in the Department of History at Sichuan University in February 1978 (known as the 77 grader), where he studied art history.

Career

In 1984, Dai left China for France to study at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques on a scholarship. There, he developed an interest in movies and became a director. Before writing books, he directed three long movies that received praise from critics: China, My Sorrow (1989) (original title: Chine, ma douleur), Le mangeur de lune (Moon Eater), and Tang, le onzième (The Eleventh Child). He also wrote and directed a movie based on his novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, which was released in 2002. He currently lives in Paris and writes in French.

Dai’s novel, Par une nuit où la lune ne s'est pas levée (Once on a Moonless Night), was published in 2007. His book L'acrobatie aérienne de Confucius (The Aerial Acrobatics of Confucius) was published in 2008.

Novels

Dai's first book, Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise (Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress), was published in 2000. A movie version of the book was made in 2002, and Dai himself adapted and directed it. The story follows two friends who become close to a local seamstress while staying in a village during the Cultural Revolution. They steal a suitcase of Western classical novels from another man in the village and share the books with the seamstress to help her learn about great literature. The books also help the friends cope during this difficult time. The story focuses on how great literature can connect people across cultures and bring hope. The novel has been translated into twenty-five languages, including Dai's native language, after the movie was released.

Dai's second book, Le Complexe de Di (The Di Complex), was published in 2003 and won the Prix Femina award. The story follows a Chinese man who is influenced by French ideas about the mind and behavior. The title is inspired by the term "Oedipus complex," which refers to a psychological concept. The English version of the book, published in 2005, is titled Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch.