Wang Yuewen, a native of Hunan Province, became known to the public after his 1999 novel National Portrait became an early success in the anti-corruption genre. His other novels include Home Village, Yellow Ochre, Prime Minister of the Qing Dynasty and Ghost Bird. His other works include the essay collection The Cost of Humour and short story collections such as A Snowless Winter and Overflowing Water, for which he won the 6th Lu Xun Literary Prize.

He has won the Wu Cheng’en Novel Award, the Hunan Province Prize for the Literary Arts and the Hunan Province Prize for Innovation in Literature, as well as accolades from numerous literary magazines. Having worked in county government before becoming a full-time writer, he serves in the presidium of the China Writers Association.