Zhang Ailing (Chang Ailing, Eileen Chang) was a Chinese author whose well-known literary texts include The Rogue of the North, The Golden Cangue, and The Rice Sprout Song. Her works, considered to be among the best Chinese literature of the 1940s, examined the themes of marriage, family, love, and relationships in the social context of 1930s and 1940s Shanghai. Zhang's writing depicted paradoxical human natures, powerlessness, and sorrowful truths in everyday life without the political subtext that characterized other writers of the period. The collection consists of seven boxes of materials in English and Chinese. While the collection includes some of her early Shanghai publications, the majority of the materials relate to her life and ongoing works after she immigrated to the United States in 1955.

Zhang Ailing was born in Shanghai, China on September 30, 1920. At an early age, Zhang displayed an affinity for education as she learned English, studied art and music, read Chinese novels and attempted writing. In 1939, she enrolled at the University of Hong Kong to study English literature. However, her education plans were halted two years later as the Japanese occupation led to the closing of the university.

3.52 Linear Feet 7 boxes

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