An explosion of verse

In May 2021, the 21 articles of his newspaper column became his first book, Wei Chen (Nobody), telling the stories of people whose hard lives were little known. In June, his second essay collection, Huozhe Jiushi Chongtian Yihan (literally, To Live Is to Roar at the Sky) was released, telling more about the hard life of miners, the invisible people in the society, death, love, pain, struggle, the COVID-19 pandemic, and his writing.

Like his best-selling poem collection Zhaliezhi (A Record of Explosion), published in 2019, these nonfictional writings have also been well-received by readers and critics. The two books have, together, sold more than 130,000 copies, and appeared on a number of different lists of top nonfiction books in 2021.

Commenting on Wei Chen, Zhang Li, professor of Chinese literature with Beijing Normal University, says: "He is a good writer by my standard. I've never thought about his profession. I respect all kinds of writers, whether they are farmers or workers, but the most important thing for me is the quality of writing."

Diagnosed with pneumoconiosis in 2020, Chen, now a professional writer, lives in his hometown. His new nonfiction book, Yidi Baishuang (literally, Ground Covered With Hoarfrost), was published recently, and he is now revising Chen Nianxi De Shi (Poems by Chen Nianxi), a new collection of poems.

Contact the writer at yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn