My Newsvine Interview With Chinese Mystery Writer Diane Wei Liang – Part 1

This is the first part of a two-part interview with Diane Wei Liang

I supported the Student Democracy Movement in 1989 when it held protests in the Tiananmen Square. I was disturbed and shocked when the protests were crushed by the government and I still hold a grudge against China for its poor human rights record.

Why, you are asking, am I talking about Tiananmen Square, at the start of an interview with a mystery writer? It's simple – the author was there, participating in the protests.

She spent some of her childhood with her parents in a labor camp. While she left China after the Tiananmen Square protests she has returned once a year since 1996 and says life there is not as bad as it was when she left.

The mystery is about Mei Wang, the first ever female private detective in China's capital. Mei Wang used to work for the Ministry of Public Security, sort of like China's version of Scotland Yard, but left under circumstances she refuses to discuss.

An old family friend, "Uncle" Chen Jitian, asks Mei Wang to help him determine the location of a rare piece of white jade.

As a big fan of mysteries and someone interested in learning more about China I agreed to read this book and interview the author. Following is the first half of the interview.

The first half of this interview is where I'll ask questions about you and the book. The second half will be just questions about the book itself.

Scott: How did you come to write this novel?

Diane: I got the idea of writing about the search for an ancient jade from reading an article on the treasures of Nepal in Sunday Times. I've always been interested in Chinese art and history, and thought it would be an engaging subject for the first book of the Mei Wang series.

Scott: What was your goal with this book and did you accomplish it?

Diane: I started the book as a mystery, but as I went along, it became more about the lives of the characters - Mei and her family, and an examination of the social changes in China. The book seemed to have dictated a purpose of its own.

Scott: Did you always plan to tell this story as a mystery or did you consider other genres originally?

Diane: Yes, as I said earlier, I had intended to tell the story as a mystery, but at some point the story took over and made the book into something much more than just a mystery. It became, on a small scale, a study of contemporary China.

Scott: Switching gears…What was your role in the demonstrations at Tiananmen Square?

Diane: I marched on the streets of Beijing and in Tiananmen Square. I supported the hunger strikers and guarded the Square at night. When the tanks approached Beijing I went with friends and fellow students to stop them from entering the city, climbing onto the tanks, trying to convince the soldiers not to harm the students and handing out leaflets.

Scott: Was that demonstration one of the reasons you left China for the U.S. later that year?

Diane: Yes. Luckily for me, because I had already a scholarship from College of William and Mary, I was able to leave as soon as the boarder was reopened. I left in a hurry, with $40 in my pocket, taking the first flight I could find.

Scott: I have to admit I was a bit surprised by a comment that came in the promotional material with your book, where you are quoted as saying:

Could you elaborate on that last sentence? I've read – and seeded at Newsvine – many stories that would seem to suggest China's still far from "open."

Diane: China is by no means a truly "open" country, but comparing to what it was like twenty years ago, China is much more open today. For example, political prosecution is no longer a normal occurrence, as it was in the 1970's and some part of 1980's. It used to be that even when people spoke against the Party in private, their friends could turn them in and they'd be arrested. Today people are free to speak of their views, particularly in private. The Chinese press also enjoys more freedom, especially in topics of economics, although such freedom is not at the level comparable to that in the West.

Scott: Or do you just mean it's more open than it used to be? Diane: Yes.

Scott: Do you think hosting the Olympics is going to change China permanently or just temporarily?

Diane: Olympic games will have a very positive effect on China. But one shouldn't imagine that one event, however significant, would change China dramatically. Changes will happen, some may even be long lasting, but whether they will be permanent, it will depend on many other factors.

Scott: Why are there not more Chinese mystery writers? Or, are there and they are just not as well known in the U.S.? Who are some other Chinese writers you'd suggest readers check out?

Diane: This might be because mystery and detective fiction is not an established genre in Chinese literature. The only other Chinese mystery writer I know of and have read is Qiu Xiaolong, who lives in Missouri and writes the Inspector Chen series.

Scott: Are you turning this book into a series? What do you consider some benefits of writing a series versus a stand-alone book?

Diane: The idea is to continue Mei Wang's stories in a series. I've finished the second instalment and am working on the third. There are certain benefits for both the author and the reader in a series. For example, we can follow the stories of the same characters over a number of books and forge a deep relationship with them. A series is also a good way to chronicle the development of characters and the changes of a time and place.

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