Eileen Chang (1920 - 1995) was born in Shanghai. At the age of twenty, she astonished the literary world with a series of novels. Chang studied at the University of Hong Kong, but her education was interrupted by the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, prompting her return to Shanghai. Her works predominantly feature settings in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hong Kong, intricately depicting landmarks such as the University of Hong Kong, High Street in Sai Ying Pun, the stalls in Wan Chai, the Lee’s Studio in North Point, and the Repulse Bay Hotel. Against a backdrop of desolation, she vividly portrays the entanglements of romantic relationships, the complexities of human nature, and the shifts of the era. Whether in her early works like "Love in a Fallen City" and "Half a Lifelong Romance," or her later work "Lust, Caution," her novels and essays have become timeless classics cherished by generations of readers.

Eileen Chang's later years in Los Angeles, marked by solitude, added to her enigmatic fascination. However, the interest in studying her works never waned, and renowned directors frequently adapted her stories. Ang Lee's adaptation of "Lust, Caution" is a notable example that garnered widespread acclaim.

Eileen Chang passed away in her Los Angeles apartment in September 1995 at the age of seventy-four. In accordance with her wishes, her friends scattered her ashes in the Pacific Ocean on her birthday, bringing an end to her legendary life.

This special collection is currently under development and its content will be regularly updated.

Source: “To my beloved friends : letters of Eileen Chang, Stephen Soong & Mae Fong Soong” =《張愛玲往來書信集》