Dozens of authors active in the Chinese literary scene have joined the program. And, in 1976, around 300 writers nominated the Engles for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1964, when Nieh left Taiwan for Iowa City in the US, the only book she took with her was Shen's collection of essays, Sketches of A Trip to Hunan.

And, in her book, Nieh recounts the interactions when the Engles finally met Shen in person in Beijing in 1980 and 1984.

In Nieh's mind, it takes all the senses－visual, tactile, olfactory and gustatory－to appreciate Shen's words.

He had a wealth of imagination and different styles of writing.

Nieh went to the US in the 1960s and returned to China a handful of times. Her influence in domestic literary circles was not as great as it was overseas, according to Xiao Yao, one of the editors of the Chinese version of Shen Ts'ung-wen.

In a time of limited cultural exchanges, the author and the publisher did not vigorously promote the publication of different language versions of the book, and this, Xiao explains, is why it took 50 years to publish a Chinese version.

"There are not many biographies about Shen in China. I believe this one will help readers know more about his life and personality and trigger a deeper understanding of the beauty and artistry of his work."

Contact the writer at fangaiqing@chinadaily.com.cn