Born in 1963 in Suzhou and now living in Beijing with his family, Su Tong is one of China's most celebrated bestselling authors, shooting to international fame in 1993 when Zhang Yimou's film of his novella Raise the Red Lantern was nominated for an Oscar. Madwoman on the Bridge is his first collection of short stories ever to be published. It is to be followed by his latest novel, Check, a violent drama set in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, to be published by Doubleday in 2009.