Lu Xun, formerly also romanized Lu Hsün, was the pen name of Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 - 19 October 1936), a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. Writing in Vernacular Chinese as well as Classical Chinese, Lu Xun was a short story writer, editor, translator, literary critic, essayist, and poet. In the 1930s he became the titular head of the League of Left-Wing Writers in Shanghai--Wikipedia.