ICON: Chinese writer Yan favored by movie directors

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Yan Geling is a prominent Chinese writer, author of several novels, short stories and screenplays. Much of her work has been adapted into films, earning her broader recognition among the public.

Now, she is the playwright of the popular movie "Youth", a current box office hit directed by Feng Xiaogang that touches on the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) and the Sino-Vietnamese border war.

Yan's first novel was published in 1985. She is the author of novels such as "The Banquet Bug" (published as "The Uninvited" in the UK) and "The Lost Daughter of Happiness", as well as a story collection entitled "White Snake and Other Stories."

Yan Geling (second left) at a promotion for the movie "Youth" /CGTN Photo

Yan's works have always been favored by film adaptions, including "Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl", which was directed by Joan Chen.

Zhang Yimou, the renowned Chinese director, adapted Yan's novel "13 Flowers of Nanjing" to the screen as "The Flowers of War" starring Christian Bale in 2011. The movie was selected as the Chinese entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.

Zhang's 2014 movie "Coming Home" was based on Yan's novel "The Criminal Lu Yanshi".

Yan has worked on other scripts including a biography of Mei Lanfang, the Peking opera star, for Chinese director Chen Kaige.