Xu Xing

Xu Xing (born March 1956 in Beijing) is a celebrated Chinese writer, documentary filmmaker, modern ink painter, and cultural scholar whose work has left a lasting mark on contemporary Chinese literature and independent film. Often described as “the Chinese Jack Kerouac,” Xu is known for his incisive engagement with questions of politics, power, and moral responsibility, as well as for a narrative style that bridges tradition and modernity.

Xu’s literary breakthrough came with his debut novella, Variations Without a Theme (无主题变奏), published in 1985 and widely regarded as a landmark of China’s avant-garde literature. His subsequent works-including All That Left is Yours, The Story of a City, and numerous short stories and plays-have been translated into multiple languages and have reached a broad international audience. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Xu spent several years in Germany, including as a visiting scholar in Heidelberg, where he helped revive the influential literary magazine Today and played an active role in the overseas Chinese literary community.

Returning to Beijing in the mid-1990s, Xu expanded his creative practice to documentary filmmaking. His films, such as A Chronicle of My Cultural Revolution, Crime Summary, and The Day of Reckoning, have been screened at universities and festivals around the world and are recognized for their nuanced explorations of Chinese history and society, often giving voice to those on the margins. Xu’s documentaries blend personal memory with collective history, offering rare insight into both urban and rural experiences during times of upheaval.

A recipient of numerous international honors-including the Swedish Kult Tucholsky Prize and the Korea Gwangwa Gate Artistic Achievement Award-Xu has held fellowships and residencies at leading institutions such as Villa Aurora in Los Angeles (as a Feuchtwanger Fellow), and has been a frequent guest at universities and literary festivals across Europe, the United States, and Asia.

In early 2024, amid renewed political pressure, Xu Xing was again forced to leave China and now lives in exile. His body of work continues to shape debates on literature, history, and freedom of expression in China and beyond, and he remains a vital voice for those pushed to the margins of society.