Photo: Beesknees999 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Shan Sa fascinates me because she rebuilt herself in a borrowed language. A poet writing in Chinese as a child in Beijing, she moved to France and went on to win the Prix Goncourt du premier roman and the students' Prix Goncourt writing in French, which is an astonishing feat in a second tongue. The Girl Who Played Go bridges East and West with real grace, and the honors that followed, including the Order of Arts and Letters, feel earned. That she also paints only deepens my admiration. Choosing your own language and country, then excelling in both, takes uncommon nerve.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shan Sa
- Name (Japanese)
- 山颯
- Reading
- しゃん・さ
- Born
- October 26, 1972 (age 53)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rat
- Origin
- Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- writer / poet / painter
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Prix Goncourt du premier roman
- 2001 Prix Goncourt des Lycéens
- 2009 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- 2011 Knight of the National Order of Merit
- 1999 Prix Cazes
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Gate of Celestial Peace | — | |
| Notable work | The Girl Who Played Go | — |
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B1%B1%E9%A2%AF
Frequently asked questions
When was Shan Sa born?
Born October 26, 1972 (age 53).
Where is Shan Sa from?
Shan Sa is from Beijing, People's Republic of China.
What does Shan Sa do?
Shan Sa works as writer, poet, painter.
What is Shan Sa known for?
Notable works include Gate of Celestial Peace, The Girl Who Played Go.
Writer — see all → · Poet — see all → · More people from People's Republic of China →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.