Xiaolu Guo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xiaolu Guo
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Guo in 2015
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| Born | 20 November 1973 China |
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| Nationality | British (formerly Chinese) | ||||||||
| Period | 1987–present | ||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 郭小櫓 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 郭小橹 | ||||||||
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Xiaolu Guo (born November 20, 1973) is a talented writer and filmmaker from China who now lives in Britain. She writes books and makes movies that explore important ideas. These ideas include moving to new places, feeling like an outsider, memories, personal journeys, and different cultures.
Guo has directed many films, including both documentaries (real-life stories) and fiction (made-up stories). Some of her most famous films are She, a Chinese and We Went to Wonderland. Her books have been translated into 28 different languages, meaning people all over the world can read them! Her book Nine Continents: A Memoir in and out of China won a big award called the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2017. In 2013, she was named one of the best young British novelists by Granta magazine. She also helped choose the winner for the Man Booker Prize in 2019, which is a very important book award.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Xiaolu Guo grew up in a small fishing village in China with her grandparents. Later, she lived with her parents and brother in a city called Wenling. Her father was an artist who painted traditional Chinese landscapes. Her mother was a Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution, a big social movement in China.
When she was a teenager, Xiaolu Guo published her first collection of poems. She also studied ink painting. In 1993, she moved to Beijing to study at the Beijing Film Academy. In 2002, she moved to London to learn about directing documentaries. Since then, she has lived in other cities like Paris, Zurich, and Berlin.
Career Highlights
Xiaolu Guo has been a judge for several important book and film awards. She has also taught creative writing and filmmaking at many universities around the world. These include King's College in London and Harvard University in the United States. She is an honorary professor at the University of Nottingham and a guest professor at the University of Bern in Switzerland. She has also been a writer-in-residence in Berlin and Zurich, which means she was invited to live and work there as a writer.
Her Books
Xiaolu Guo has written many interesting novels and memoirs.
Village of Stone (2005)
This book is about two people, Coral and Red, who live in Beijing. Coral's life changes when she gets a dried eel in the mail from her home village. A famous writer, Doris Lessing, said reading it was "like finding yourself in a dream."
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers (2008)
This was the first book Xiaolu Guo wrote in English. It tells the story of a young Chinese woman who moves to London. She calls herself "Z." The book is written in her "broken English" at first, like a dictionary. As she learns English, her language in the book gets better, showing her journey.
UFO in Her Eyes (2009)
This novel is set in a Chinese village and is written like a series of police interviews about a UFO sighting. Xiaolu Guo also directed a film based on this book, which won an award for its script.
20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth (2010)
This is a coming-of-age story about Fenfang, a 21-year-old Chinese woman. She moves to Beijing to become a film extra, facing challenges in the big city.
Lovers in the Age of Indifference (2010)
This is a collection of short stories. They are about people who feel lost between Western and Eastern cultures, set in different places.
I Am China (2015)
This novel tells a story about two Chinese lovers living in exile. A translator in London discovers their story by reading their letters and diaries. The book was named one of NPR's Best Books of 2014.
Once Upon a Time in the East (2017)
This is Xiaolu Guo's memoir, which is a true story about her own life. It tells about her childhood in China in the 1970s and 80s and her journey to the West. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography.
Recent Works
Her novel A Lover's Discourse (2020) was nominated for the Goldsmiths Prize. In 2021, she released a non-fiction book called Radical: A Life of My Own. Her book My Battle of Hastings followed in 2024.
Her Films
Xiaolu Guo has directed many films, often focusing on social issues and personal experiences.
The Concrete Revolution (2004)
This film is about the construction workers in Beijing who built stadiums for the 2008 Olympics. It won an award at the International Human Rights Film Festival in Paris.
How Is Your Fish Today? (2006)
This docu-drama is set in modern China. It follows a writer and the character from his film script. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and won a Grand Prix award.
We Went to Wonderland (2008)
This black-and-white film shows two elderly Chinese communists arriving in London. They share their surprised thoughts about the Western world. It was shown at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
She, a Chinese (2009)
This film won the Golden Leopard, the top prize, at the Locarno International Film Festival. It also won the Best Script Award at the Hamburg Film Festival.
Once Upon a Time Proletarian (2009)
This documentary looks at different social classes in China after the time of Marxism. It was shown at the Venice Film Festival.
UFO in Her Eyes (2011)
This film is based on her novel of the same name. It's a political story about a small Chinese village after a supposed UFO sighting.
Late at Night, Voices of Ordinary Madness (2013)
This film focuses on people in Britain who are struggling in different ways. It was shown at the BFI London Film Festival.
Five Men and a Caravaggio (2018)
This documentary was inspired by an essay about art. It premiered at the BFI London Film Festival.
What About China? (2020)
In 2020, Guo worked with filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha on this new film.
Awards and Recognitions
Xiaolu Guo has received many awards and nominations for her writing and films.
Her novel A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007. Her first novel Village of Stone was also nominated for important awards.
Her memoir Nine Continents: A Memoir in and out of China won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography in 2017. It was also nominated for the Costa Book Award for Biography.
Her film She, a Chinese won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2009. Her film How Is Your Fish Today was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. Her documentary We Went to Wonderland was selected for the New Directors/New Films Festival in New York.
In 2014, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women list, which highlights inspiring women.
List of Awards
- 2008: Orange Prize for Fiction shortlist, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
- 2013: Granta "Best of Young British Novelists"
- 2017: National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography, Nine Continents
- 2017: Costa Book Award for Biography shortlist, Once Upon a Time in the East
- 2018: Ondaatje Prize shortlist, Once Upon a Time in the East
- 2018: Rathbones Folio Prize shortlist, Once Upon a Time in the East
See also
In Spanish: Xiaolu Guo para niños
