The Chinese edition of "The Man Who Loved Children", a heart-wrenching tragedy of a modern family set in the early 1940s by Australian female writer Christina Stead, was launched on December 9 in Beijing.

While still largely unknown in China, Stead enjoys literary acclaim in both Australia and the United States. She received the Patrick White Award for fiction in Australia in 1974. Her novels are taught at schools and universities in Australia and overseas. During the bicentennial celebrations in Australia in 1988, the " Christina Stead Award for Fiction" was founded.

The Chinese translator, Ouyang Yu, first read the book 10 years ago as a student at the East China Normal University in Shanghai. After obtaining his master's degree in English and Australian literature, he subsequently moved to Australia and holds a Ph.D.in Australian literature from La Trobe University in Melbourne.

Ouyang's literary works include poetry, fictions and essays published in all major Australian literary journals. He has also won numerous awards for his poetry and translations. (Xinhua)