Zhang was born in 1982 in
Jinan,
Shandong. She is an only child. Her father was a professor of
Shandong University, and he was very keen on literature. Zhang is an alumnus of Shandong Experimental High School,
Shandong University and
National University of Singapore. Her main works include short stories and novels. She won the 2001
New Concept Writing Competition organised by
Mengya magazine. She is often labeled as part of a group of successful Chinese authors known as the "post-'80s" generation. In 2011 she participated in the International Writing Program Fall Residency at the
University of Iowa in
Iowa City. Currently, Zhang is a teacher of Literary Studies in
Renmin University of China. Several of her works have been translated into English by
Jeremy Tiang, as well as into various other languages. ==Works in English==