Liang Shiqiu

Liang Shiqiu (1903–1987), whose given name was Zhihua and whose courtesy name was Shiqiu, was born in Beijing to a family from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. A modern Chinese essayist, literary critic and translator, he was a leading member of the Crescent Society. He devoted nearly forty years to translating The Complete Works of Shakespeare and also wrote A History of English Literature, leaving a lasting influence on translation and literary studies. His representative essay collection, Jottings from the Yajai, treats everyday life and human nature in a relaxed, humorous style and is a classic of modern Chinese prose. This library holds twenty-eight of his works, spanning Eastern philosophy, essays and miscellaneous writings, and classic works; they include reflective sketches on life and leisurely pieces on laziness, ghosts and strange beasts, all written in an approachable, genial style that reveals insight and character in ordinary details.