Chinese Literature Podcast

China’s First Feminist1 min read

Rob Moore

Rob Moore and Lee Moore read Ding Ling’s groundbreaking short story Miss Sophie’s Diary

 

Finding a “first” of anything is a tricky proposition, but if we had to pick a “first” great work of feminism in modern Chinese literature, it would by Miss Sophie’s Diary, by Ding Ling, published in 1928. An absolutely fascinating work that takes full advantage of the diary format in a way Lu Xun’s own Diary of a Madman didn’t, Ding Ling explored the psychology and sexuality of her protagonist with both sensitivity and intensity, and penned a work that, nearly a century on, is still a fascinating read:

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The Chinese Literature Podcast is recorded on the not so-sunny Eugene, Oregon, campus of the University of Oregon, with the generous support of the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.

Published by Rob Moore

Rob Moore is a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon and co-host of the Chinese Literature Podcast. His current research focuses on translation practices in early modern China.