In the late 1980s, Ge Fei grabbed the attention of the literary world with his radical avant-garde posture. Some of his short stories, such as Mizhou (The Enigmatic Boat) and Hese Niaoqun (The Flock of Brown Birds), were regarded as the most representative experimental texts by avant-garde writers.

He developed a labyrinth-like structure described by critics as "the strange circle of narrative" and often gave strong hints of abstract thought. The two characteristics once made him known as the "Chinese Borges."

At the same time, his writing also showed certain influence from Chinese lyric and metaphysical traditions. The delicately wrought language, leisurely narrative manner and remote and classic atmosphere permeating from his pen were unforgettable.

After the completion of the highly-applauded Yuwang De Qizhi (The Banner of Desire) in 1994, Ge Fei stopped writing novels and concentrated chiefly on his teaching career at a university. Some of his research results were collected and published in Sairen De Gesheng (The Song of Siren).

"But still I consider myself a sojourner in academic circles," the sturdy man with stubbly haircut says.

"A writer is what I should always be in the first place."

Two years ago, Ge Fei transferred to the prestigious Tsinghua University from the East China Normal University, where he had taught ever since graduating in 1985.

Some of his devoted readers fear that Beijing's academic circles, with its intensively competitive atmosphere and strict academic machinery, might not be a favorable environment for detached thinking and creative writing.

But the 38-year-old professor does not believe he is at risk.

"I've long been too familiar with academic circles to feel uncomfortable. And I'm grateful that I can get input from two different kinds of life experiences, as a writer and as a scholar," he says.

Now he is seriously thinking about resuming literary writing.

"Stopping writing used to be great anxiety for me," Ge Fei says. "But now I think it is indeed necessary and beneficial for a writer to become quiet for a period of time to contemplate, when he meets difficulty in writing.

"The world has changed dramatically enough, but will change more dramatically still. We have to set ourselves back to a zero point to try to understand the world and figure out where it will go."

(China Daily December 18, 2002)