Sanmao

Author of «The Stories of the Sahara»

Sanmao (Chen Mao-ping, 1943–1991) was a Taiwanese writer and cultural critic. She studied at Chinese Culture University and the Complutense University of Madrid. Sanmao traveled to 59 countries, having lived and worked in Germany, Spain, and the United States. In 1973–1976, she lived in the then Spanish-controlled Western Sahara with her husband José María Quero y Ruíz. After the coup d'état, the couple moved to the Canary Islands. Published in 1976, «The Stories of the Sahara» was a resounding success in Taiwan, Singapore, and China. Later, Sanmao published more than twenty books, including autobiographic works, travelogues, meditative novels, film scripts, and translations of Chinese comics.