Mai Jia: The Dan Brown of China?

The New York Times introduced Mai Jia as a bestselling author of espionage novels and a former military man who has been writing about secrets for years. The coded world he has created in his works is unknown to most Chinese, let alone foreign readers.

During the week-long Beijing Publishing Fellowship last June, Mai reviewed his literary career and offered a few thoughts on his works published overseas. “My novel Decoded was composed in a period of 11 years and had been rejected 17 times. It was a miserable experience unknown to most people and even for a writer, this is rare,” said Mai.

Mai Jia, a bestselling writer of espionage novels.

In recent years Mai Jia seems to have retreated from the media limelight. He started a non-profit bookstore in Hangzhou, designed to provide a complimentary space for young writers.