童莹
born in Cixi, City of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
a city that lies south of Shanghai on Hangzhou Bay
Love green space 🙂
PhD Candidate in Oriental Studies (Modern Chinese History) at the University of Oxford, UK
Story Author
My current research focuses on the self-construction of Chinese revolutionary women during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945). Based on five case studies, my study delves into how these women forged and solidified their identities as ideal revolutionary fighters by negotiating with the military, political, and gender expectations in various settings, including frontline service, secret operations, cadre training, and rural socialist practice. Some of these women were affiliated with the CCP or the KMT during the war, and some were affiliated with neither of the two parties.
My research interests also extend to modern Chinese religious rituals and Chinese and Western poetry. I graduated from the Chinese Department at Peking University [2017-2020], where I specialised in Modern Chinese Literature, with a sustained focus on the social engagement and dilemmas of specific populations in 20th China, including intellectuals, young students, and female writers.
Yes, I also write stories.
It started with my debut, Prosper with the East Wind, published in Shanghai Literature in 2018. Since then, I’ve written stories about social and family evolution from the 1990s, the decade I was born in. They touched on generational conflicts, sexual trauma, the ups and downs of certain professions, etc. However, I’ve lowered my writing pace since 2021 because I developed new perspectives to view those topics and expanded new themes and forms I would like to experiment with. It resulted from studying history in a doctoral phase and experiencing an amazing transformation after self-care work. It takes time to put my thoughts together, which is slow but exhilarating : )