Wai-yee Li

Wai-yee Li has been a Professor of Chinese Literature at Harvard University since 2000, specializing in late imperial Chinese literature, early Chinese thought, and the intersections of gender and sexuality. She earned her BA from the University of Hong Kong and her PhD from Princeton University in 1987, where she later served as an associate professor. Her significant works include "Women and National Trauma in Late Imperial Chinese Literature" (2014), which explores the representation of women during periods of political upheaval, and "The Readability of the Past in Early Chinese Historiography" (2007), examining how historical narratives shape cultural memory. Li has also contributed to the understanding of premodern fiction and drama through her extensive publications, including translations and critical analyses. She has received numerous fellowships and grants from prestigious institutions such as the Harvard Society of Fellows and the American Academy in Berlin. Her teaching encompasses a wide range of topics, including Ming-Qing culture, historiography, and premodern literature, making her a key figure in contemporary Chinese literary studies.