Zhang Ling [Photo: chinaqw.com]

As a Chinese fiction writer in Canada, Zhang Ling's vision never has drifted far from her native soil. She is best known for her novel "Aftershocks", about the devastating Tangshan earthquake of 1976.

Reporter: 

It is said that Chinese writers living overseas can be divided into two groups. One is those who mainly write in English and have been assimilated into mainstream western culture. The other consists of those who write in Chinese and are not so well-established in domestic literary circles. Zhang Ling belongs to the latter group.

Zhang wanted to become a writer since her childhood, but she did not begin writing until 1997. She was born in Zhejiang Province in 1957 and went to Canada in 1986 to pursue a master's degree in English.

Zhang led a bitter life during her years in Canada. She found that she could do nothing without a stable salary, so she became an audiologist to earn a living. It took her nearly 10 years to grow accustomed to life in Canada. This struggle laid the groundwork for her writing.

"I had never suspected I would become a writer in the future, but I didn't expect it would take such a long time. It seems that I wasted 10 years, but when I look back, I feel I became more mature during that time. I can now observe the whole world with a more objective point of view. I am not as impatient in expressing my feelings, which I think is a good trait for a writer."

Zhang's early works are a series of stories that take place in the southern part of China where her hometown is. But she gradually became tired of describing the humid and gloomy mood of the South. So her later works focused mainly on the North — a new area for her.

In Zhang's eyes, a writer's style is largely influenced by where she comes from.

"No matter how far one goes or what life she lives in a foreign country, she will never forget her childhood and mother tongue. So it's easy to understand why a writer always writes stories about her hometown. When I grew up, I used to work in Beijing. Then I went to Canada and lived in its northern cities, where I can trace my road to maturity. That's why there's a division in my works."

Zhang wrote a medium-length novel "Aftershock" in 2006. It depicts how the life of a seven-year-old girl is changed by the Tangshan earthquake, the most destructive earthquake of the 20th century in terms of deaths.

Zhang says the inspiration for writing the novel came unexpectedly when she saw books about the disaster while waiting for a plane at the airport. There were many detailed stories about how children were affected by the earthquake.

Zhang says she realized that much of what the Chinese government told the people about the earthquake was meaningless. She says the damage has left a deep scar on people.

"Not all miseries make one achieve great success. It may destroy him as well. I'm happy to see that in the Wenchuan earthquake, psychological intervention had been offered to help children maintain their psychological health. If it had been used after the Tangshan earthquake, children would not have suffered so much."

Chinese director Feng Xiaogang has adapted Zhang's novel for his new film "Tangshan Earthquake", Zhang says she is expecting a touching movie.

"I was touched by the novel I wrote, and I do believe Director Feng Xiaogang will shoot a film that will move the Chinese people and even the whole world."

Zhang still works as an audiologist by day, while writing at night. She says she enjoys her life and that there should be always a nesting place for flying hearts.

"My job is like my feet, by which I can stand on the ground steadily. While writing for me is like the soul flying. No one can walk forever because he will feel tired. And no one can fly all the time because he will feel lonely. I enjoy a life where I can choose when to rest or fly."