"Pierre Ryckmans (Simon Leys), an old China hand, died on August 11th, aged 78", The Economist, 23 August 2014: "But his chosen surname contained a subtle clue as to who he really was. "Leys" was a homage to "René Leys", a novel by the French author Victor Segalen, in which a Belgian teenager in old Peking regales his employer with tales of the hidden intrigues and conspiracies taking place within the imperial palace.
