Ma Jian is a man who writes books. He's from a country called China where many people live. Ma Jian writes stories that make people think about important things like freedom and government rules. He tries to show people what it's like to live in a place where the rulers control everything, even the thoughts and feelings of people. His books are sometimes banned in China because they talk about things the rulers don't want people to read about. But many people outside of China like to read Ma Jian's books because they teach us about life in China and about the struggles people face to live freely.