Yu Jie (余杰), is a Chinese writer and democracy activist. The bestselling author of more than 30 books, Yu was described by the New York Review of Books in 2012 as “one of China’s most prominent essayists and critics”.

Yu is also active in the Chinese dissident movement, and was arrested and allegedly tortured in 2010 for his friendship with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo and a critical biography of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao titled China’s Best Actor. Following more than a year of house arrest, Yu emigrated to the US with his family in January 2012. Later that year, he was awarded the Civil Courage Prize of the Train Foundation.

His first book, Fire and Ice, included extensive political and social criticism. Upon its 1999 publication, Yu became a “literary sensation”. In the same year, he met and befriended democracy activist Liu Xiaobo, and became active in the Chinese dissident movement. As part of his work with Liu, he read and commented on drafts of the democracy manifesto Charter 08 and helped found the Independent PEN Center.

Yu became a bestselling author in China[4] and as of 2012, had written more than 30 books.[1] However, his criticisms of the government eventually caused his works to be banned in mainland China.

In 2012, Yu was named the winner of the 2012 Civil Courage Prize of the US-based Train Foundation. The prize recognizes “steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor.” The prize comes with a $50,000 honorarium. He was the first Chinese person to win the award, and he stated that he hoped the prize would encourage China’s dissidents.

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