Writer Louis Cha was awarded honorary doctorate from Cambridge University in 2005. [Xinhua]

The well known Hong Kong-based writer Louis Cha is to join the prestigious Chinese Writers' Association – 11 years after he turned the membership down.

The 85-year-old martial art writer – who is currently studying for his doctorate at Cambridge University – will join the ranks of China's leading authors in a senior role after being invited to become a member for recognition of his widely read books on chivalrous swordsman. His best selling books include The Legendary Couple and Laughing in the Wind.

"At the beginning of this year, the association offered the invitation and Louis Cha accepted with readiness," said Pan Yaoming, assistant to Louis Cha, also chief editor of Hong Kong-based Ming Pao, the newspaper Cha founded in 1959 and at which he held the position of chief editor and president for 35 years.

Cha will take up the post of honorary vice-chairman of the associaton, according to mainland media reports.

He was offered membership in 1998 after China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong one year earlier, but he turned it down, refusing to give an explaination.

"Cha's entry of Chinese Writers' Association is quite a natural thing. I offered him the invitation in Beijing, only to be met with hesitations. Maybe it is because of the political conditions at that time,"said assocaiton member, the famous mainland writer Zhang Xianliang, and author of bestsellers Half of Man Is Woman.

There are 409 writers nominated for membership of the 8,000-strong association this year, including seven writers from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Cha would be automatically admitted to the association on June 24 if no official objections are made.

After receiving his honorary doctorate from Cambridge in 2005, Cha – then 81 – went back to the univesity to study for a non-honorary master degree. Two years ago he began studing for his PhD in oriental studies and Chinese history at St John's College, Cambridge – becoming one of the oldest students to enrol in the university's history.

(Global Times, June 22, 2009)