This is an important reader for anyone concerned with the literature and society or gender perceptions and roles in mediaeval and late imperial China. Eighteen texts - poetry, imaginative literature or social commentaries - are here translated for the first time, set into context, and extensively annotated. Some were written by men and some by women and included are seven pieces of self-discovering prose by women writers. This volume sheds light on largely unexplored areas of China's historical diversity. With line drawing and reading lists.