Fan Wu

The youngest of the five children, Fan Wu grew up on a state-run farm in southern China, where her parents were exiled during the Cultural Revolution. Her debut novel, February Flowers, has been translated into 8 languages. Her second novel Beautiful as Yesterday was praised by Amy Tan as "a story with intelligence, insight and heart." Her short fiction, besides being anthologized and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, has appeared in Granta, The Missouri Review, Ploughshares, Asia Literary Review, Redivider, Hyphen, and elsewhere. She has reviewed books for the San Francisco Chronicle and blogged for Ploughshares.

Wu's been published by Simon & Schuster, Doubleday & Picador UK.

Wu holds a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature from Sun Yat-sen University (Zhongshan University) and an M.A. in Mass Media Studies from Stanford University. After graduating from Stanford University, she worked as a market research analyst at Yahoo! for quite a few years. She currently lives in northern California with her husband and two young children.

Wu's new novel, I Can Hear the Daisies Grow, is nearly completed after five years of researching, writing and editing. The book focuses on the historical and psychological impact of a tumultuous past on individuals and families and is a mediation on themes that are still relevant in our contemporary world. It is ultimately about people, their fears and hopes, their secrets and desires, and how they reconcile with their past and move forward.

Inspired by her children, Wu's recently started writing stories for children. She wishes she could draw, but the truth is that her 6-year-old daughter is a far better artist than she is.

Wu loves to read, travel, and spend time with family and friends. Running, yoga and pilates help her stay healthy. When she is running, she likes to listen to the old episodes of NPR's Car Talk and "This American Life."

Excerpts from her novels:

February Flowers

http://www.amazon.com/February-Flower...

Beautiful As Yesterday

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-as-Ye...

Her short stories:

The Guest

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/magazin...

Jade

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&...

Her book reviews:

On Bi Feiyu's "Three Sisters"

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/T...

On Ha Jin's "A Good Fall"

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/A...

On Yiyun Li's "Gold Boy, Emerald Girl"

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/G...

On Anchee Min's "Pearl of China"

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/P...

On Yang Xianhui's "Woman from Shanghai"

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/F...