[1] He entered the Department of Chinese at Beijing Normal University in 1980, and started to publish novels in 1983.

[3] Su has written seven full-length novels and over 200 short stories, some of which have been translated into English, German, Italian and French.

[4] He is best known in the West for his novella Raise the Red Lantern (originally titled Wives and Concubines), published in 1990.

The book was adapted into the film, Raise the Red Lantern by director Zhang Yimou.

His other works available in English translation are Rice, My Life as Emperor, Petulia's Rouge Tin (Hongfen in Chinese), Binu and the Great Wall (tr.