Telling timeless tales of lost youth

While Zhang Kangkang responds with ire when critics categorize her as a "feminist writer", the 60-year-old has authored a number of works that delve deep into the most personal experiences of women.

After publishing the poignant novels Invisible Partner (1986), Gallery of Love and Sex (1996) and Woman On the Brink (2002) to much acclaim from critics, she has tethered her writing's raw emotionalism.

Her recent works demonstrate a mastery of detailed observation and well-cultivated artistic sensibilities.