Yao Emei (born December 8, 1968) began her literary journey in 1996. Currently, she is enrolled in the first postgraduate program for writers in Shanghai. A multi-faceted professional, Yao Emei has held various positions throughout her career, including cashier, secretary, and office director. Now as a freelance writer, she boasts an impressive publishing record, with a collective word count exceeding one million words. Her novels have been published in prestigious literary magazines including People's Literature, Harvest, Contemporary, Zhongshan, Flower City, Master, and Mountain Flowers. Many of her works have been selected for publication in annual anthologies. Her novella Man in Armor and short story Dark Eyes were chosen for the Chinese Fiction Society's Fiction Ranking List 2005 and 2006 respectively, and Dark Eyes was also included on the Annual List of Novels Recommended by Famous Writers. Yao Emei's novels include Reach for the Sky and The Story of Foggy Village. She is the winner of the 5th Hubei Province Qu Yuan Literary Award.