Who Is Yiyun Li? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on November 4, 1972, Yiyun Li is currently 52 years old. Raised in Beijing, China, Li moved to the United States in her twenties. She earned her undergraduate degree from Beijing Normal University before completing her MFA from the University of California, Irvine, and later her PhD in English from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Yiyun has garnered acclaim for her novels, short stories, and essays, making her a significant figure in contemporary literature. You can learn more about her life and works by visiting her Wikipedia page.
| Occupation | Novelist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 4, 1972 |
| Age | 52 Years |
| Birth Place | Beijing, China |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | China |
Popularity
Yiyun Li's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Yiyun Li maintains a balanced lifestyle, reflective of her composed approach to both writing and life. Although specific details about her height and weight are not publicly disclosed, her effortless style often embodies elegance and grace.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Yiyun Li is known for valuing her privacy, and details about her personal relationships have not been widely publicized. As of 2025, there is no confirmed information regarding her dating status or whether she has a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. She tends to keep her personal life away from the limelight, allowing her literary work to take center stage.
Her mother was a teacher and her father worked as a nuclear physicist. In Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, Li recounts moments from her early life, including the abuse by her mother.
Net Worth and Salary
Yiyun Li's net worth as of 2025 is estimated to be between $1 million to $5 million, depending on various factors such as book sales, teaching posts, and speaking engagements. Her prolific writing career, combined with her teaching position at Princeton University, contributes to her financial success.
Career, Business, and Investments
Yiyun Li has established herself as an influential voice in literature. She has published several acclaimed novels, including "The Vagrants" and "Where Reasons End," which showcase her deep understanding of the human psyche. Apart from her writing, she is also a professor of creative writing, sharing her expertise and inspiration with aspiring authors. Li's passion for literature has allowed her to participate in various literary festivals and speaking events, further enhancing her career and network.
Social Network
Yiyun Li is not particularly active on social media platforms, preferring to let her work speak for itself. However, her literary impact can be felt across various literary communities, and she has a dedicated following of fans and readers who appreciate her thought-provoking narratives.
Yiyun Li (Chinese: 李翊雲 - Li Yiyun) (born November 4, 1972) is a Chinese-born writer and professor who has lived and worked in the United States since entering graduate school. She writes exclusively in English.
Her short stories and novels have won several awards, including the PEN/Hemingway Award and Guardian First Book Award for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, the 2020 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award for Where Reasons End, and the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for The Book of Goose.
Her short story collection Wednesday's Child was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is an editor of the Brooklyn-based literary magazine A Public Space.
Education
Yiyun Li's educational background is a testament to her commitment to literature. She completed her undergraduate studies at Beijing Normal University and later obtained her MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine. Her PhD in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln further solidified her academic credentials, allowing her to pass on her knowledge to students at prestigious institutions.
In conclusion, Yiyun Li remains a prominent figure in the literary world, continually evolving in her career as a writer and professor. As she celebrates her achievements in 2025, her work continues to inspire and resonate with readers around the globe.
In 1991, Li fulfilled a compulsory year of service in the People's Liberation Army in Xinyang as part of her obligations before pursuing her college education. After earning a Bachelor of Science at Peking University in 1996, she moved to the U.S. In 2000, she earned a Master of Science in immunology at the University of Iowa.
She left a PhD program in immunology to pursue writing. In 2005, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction and fiction from The Nonfiction Writing Program and the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.
