Liu Jiayue (刘佳玥) is a cheerful Qingdao girl born in 1996. She had her first fairy tale book published recently. It is called Cat Zorro (樱花树下的小猫侠). But this is not the girl’s first book. In 2009, she published a collection of her articles written during her primary school years and donated the 2600 yuan (RMB) proceeds to disaster relief in Wenchuan through the Red Cross of Qingdao. Check out an interview with a precocious Qingdao native.

How old were you when you started to write?

It just started when I began composition class. During my third year at primary school, I had my first article published in the Peninsula City Newspaper (半岛都市报) in Qingdao. It was an article about the beautiful scenery of Qingdao.

Which writers have inspired you? Which books do you like?

Of course Yang Hongying is one that inspired me. I love her Dairy of A Cat Laugh (笑猫日记) most. When my mom first gave me the Ma Small Jump Series (淘气包马小跳), I didn’t like them at all. Later when she read some and told me about the story, I fell in love with them.

If you were on a desert island and could only have one book,which one would you want?

I’d like to have Pride and Prejudice. This is the book I’m reading recently and it’s rather interesting. But I don’t like books such as Wuthering Heights, it’s just too tedious.

How many places have you been to? Which one do you like best?

I have been to Singapore, Japan, Chejudo (S. Korea), and Hong Kong. I love Singapore the most since I got acquainted with many friends when I stayed there as a exchange student. I’m going to Maldives with my mom soon… my dad won’t go with us, or he’ll sleep all day long there. But he’ll pay for the trip.

Do you like traditional Chinese writers? And what about the ancient texts?

Ya, I like writers like Ba Jin (巴金), Bing Xin (冰心), Lu Xun (鲁迅). But I don’t like reading classical Chinese, it’s really hard to understand. By the way, I heard from the security guard of my residential area that the writer of Tibetan Mastiff (藏獒), Yang Zhigang (杨志刚), lives in the same building as me. I thought that was pretty cool!

Do you have an idea of your future plans?

Er… Writing is good, but I also wanna make big money. It’s best to make a profit as a writer like J·K Rowling. And then I can offer love for people who need money.

Do you prefer to write with a pen, a pencil, or on a computer?

At the very start, I just write on the composition book. The first three chapter of Cat Zorro was finished like that. But I prefer writing on a computer since it’s convenient for revising.

What languages do you know? Have you ever written in a foreign language?

English, at present. I love English for I’m keen on English songs and movies. Oh,Taylor Swift is my favorite! Write in English…er…I often sending messages in “English”. Haha! To be honest, not really English, but Chinese characters pronounced in English. Then mom can’t understand what I’m chatting about with my friends!

Relevant Links:
Cat Zorro (樱花树下的小猫侠)