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.

After Zhang Ailing immigrated to the United States in 1955, she married screenwriter Ferdinand Reyher the following year and became a citizen in 1960. While in the U.S., Zhang held a few visiting teaching positions at various universities and managed to publish a few literary pieces as well. Even though she kept a low profile, towards the end of her life there was a renewed interest in Zhang’s writings, particularly in Taiwan and Hong Kong. As a result, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, collections of her writings were reprinted by a large number of publishing companies, which allowed readers to rediscover the simple elegance and vivid imagery of her stories. But her impact on literature and film persists today. A number of films, television dramas, and theatrical plays have been produced based upon her compositions. Through the reprinting of and film adaptations based on her texts, such as director Ang Lee's 2007 screen adaptation of Zhang’s short story "Lust, Caution", new generations are being introduced to Zhang Ailing’s works posthumously. Zhang Ailing was found deceased in her apartment in California on September 8, 1995.

Sources:

The Life of Eileen Chang (Zhang Ailing) http://web.presby.edu/womenworldlit/chang/chang.html

Zhang Ailing (张爱玲) http://shanghai.cultural-china.com/html/History-of-Shanghai/History/Historical-Figures/200810/29-854.html

Liu Zaifu’s Eileen Chang's Fiction and C. T. Hsia's A History of Modern Chinese Fiction http://mclc.osu.edu/rc/pubs/liuzaifu.htm

New World Encyclopedia http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eileen_Chang