Xu Chi

Xu Chi (; 15 October 1914 – 22 December 1996) was a Chinese writer. A modernist poet and essayist in his early life, he later worked as a journalist and focused on reportage. He became widely known in China for his biographies of the mathematician Chen Jingrun (Goldbach's Conjecture) and the geologist Li Siguang (The Light of Geology). The , China's highest award for reportage literature, was established in 2002 in his memory.

Early life and career Xu was born on 15 October 1914 in Nanxun, Zhejiang, Republic of China. His original name was Xu Shangshou (徐商寿). He chose the pen name Xu Chi (meaning "late") as he wanted to live an unhurried life, although he later said he did not succeed at that.

Xu studied at the School of Literature of Soochow University. He began composing poetry in 1931, and published his first works in 1934. First published in People's Literature in January 1978, it was reprinted in the People's Daily a month later and became a national sensation. Chen Jingrun became a household name in China and received a sackful of love letters from all over the country within two months. His sister Xu He (徐和) married Wu Xiuquan, who served as Vice Foreign Minister of China. Three of his siblings, including Xu Shunshou and the two other sisters, died in the Cultural Revolution.

Xu married Chen Song (陈松) in Shanghai on January 1, 1936. They had three children. Xu married Chen Binbin (陈彬彬), but they soon divorced. The actress Bai Ling is Chen Binbin's daughter from a previous marriage.