Xiaolu Guo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xiaolu Guo FRSL
Guo in 2015
Born	(1973-11-20) 20 November 1973 (age 51) China
Occupation	Author filmmaker academic
Nationality	British (formerly Chinese)
Period	1987–present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	郭小櫓
Simplified Chinese	郭小橹
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guō Xiǎolǔ IPA [ku̯ó ɕi̯àu̯.lù]

Xiaolu Guo (born 20 November 1973) is a talented author and filmmaker from China, who later became a British citizen. Her books and movies often explore big ideas. She writes about moving to new places, feeling like an outsider, and remembering the past. Her work also looks at personal journeys, women's rights, and how different cultures mix.

Xiaolu Guo has directed many films, including both documentaries and fiction stories. Some of her most famous films are She, a Chinese and We Went to Wonderland. Her novels have been translated into 28 different languages. Her book, Nine Continents: A Memoir in and out of China, won a major award called the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2017. In 2013, she was recognized as one of the best young British novelists by Granta magazine. She has also been a judge for the Man Booker Prize, a very important book award.

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 the city of Wenling. Her father was an artist who painted traditional Chinese landscapes. Her mother was involved in the Cultural Revolution when she was young.

Xiaolu started writing poetry when she was a teenager. She also studied ink painting. In 1993, she moved to Beijing to study filmmaking at the Beijing Film Academy. In 2002, she moved to London to learn about directing documentaries. Since then, she has also lived in other European cities like Paris, Zurich, and Berlin.

Xiaolu Guo's Career

Guo in 2017.

Xiaolu Guo has been a judge for several important book awards. She has also taught creative writing and filmmaking at many universities. These include places like King's College, London, Harvard University, and the University of Nottingham. She has been a special guest writer or artist in different cities around the world. For example, she was a Writer-in-Residence at Columbia University in 2020–2021. This means she lived there and worked on her writing.

Her Books

Xiaolu Guo has written many interesting books. Here are some of them:

• Village of Stone (2005): This autobiographical novel is about two people, Coral and Red, living in Beijing. Coral's life changes when she gets a mysterious gift 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 wrote in English. It tells the story of a young Chinese woman who moves to London. She calls herself "Z" and learns about herself and her identity through her experiences. The book is written in "Z's" improving English, like a dictionary.

• UFO in Her Eyes (2009): This novel is a unique story about a supposed UFO sighting in a Chinese village. It's told through police interviews. Xiaolu Guo later directed a film based on this book, which won an award for its script.

• 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth (2010): This book is about a 21-year-old Chinese woman named Fenfang. She moves to Beijing hoping for a better life. The story shows her experiences as she tries to make her way in the big city.

• Lovers in the Age of Indifference (2010): This is a collection of short stories. They are about people who feel a bit lost between Western and Eastern cultures. The stories take place in many different locations.

• I Am China (2015): Xiaolu Guo described this novel as a story about two Chinese lovers living far from home. A translator in London discovers their story through letters and diaries. The book explores themes of love, revolution, and finding your place.

• Once Upon a Time in the East (2017): This is Xiaolu's memoir, which means it's 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. This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography.

• A Lover's Discourse (2020): This novel was recognized for its unique style and was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize.

• Radical: A Life of My Own (2021): This is a nonfiction book by Xiaolu Guo. It was followed by My Battle of Hastings in August 2024.

Her Films

Xiaolu Guo has also directed many films. Here are some of her notable works:

• The Concrete Revolution (2004): This film is about the construction workers building stadiums in Beijing 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 the stories of a writer and the person he is writing about. The film was shown at the famous Sundance Film Festival.

• We Went to Wonderland (2008): This black-and-white film shows two older Chinese communists visiting London. They share their surprised thoughts about the Western world. It was shown at the MoMA in New York.

• She, a Chinese (2009): This film won the top prize, the Golden Leopard, at the Locarno International Film Festival. It also won an award for its script.

• Once Upon a Time Proletarian (2009): This documentary looks at different social classes in China after the time of strict communism. It was shown at the Venice Film Festival.

• UFO in Her Eyes [it] (2011): This film is based on her novel of the same name. It tells a political story through the changes that happen in a small Chinese village after a supposed UFO sighting.

• Late at Night, Voices of Ordinary Madness (2013): This film explores the lives of people in Britain who are struggling. It was shown at the BFI London Film Festival.

• Five Men and a Caravaggio (2018): This documentary was inspired by a famous essay about art. It premiered at the BFI London Film Festival.

• In 2020, Xiaolu Guo worked with another filmmaker, Trinh T. Minh-ha, on her film What About China?.

Awards and Recognition

Xiaolu Guo has received many awards and honors for her writing and films.

Her novel, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007. It has been translated into 26 languages. 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 shortlisted for other awards like the Costa Book Award.

Her film She, a Chinese won the Golden Leopard, the highest prize, at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2009. Her film How Is Your Fish Today was an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Xiaolu Guo's films have been shown in special retrospectives (showings of all her work) at famous places like the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Whitechapel Gallery in London.

In 2014, the BBC included her in their "100 Women" list, which highlights inspiring women from around the world. In 2020, her novel A Lover's Discourse was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize. In 2022, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, which is a great honor for writers.

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