Category Archives: PEN for Freedom

No 17. Yu Zhang: Case 36 (1982): Qin Yongmin, Sentenced for Uniting Magazines

 From Wang Shiwei to Liu Xiaobo: Prisoners of Literary Inquisition under Communist Rule in China

Qin YongminQin Yongmin (August 11, 1953 – ), a worker, social activist and editor of independent magzines, was taken into custody for his involvement in Wuhan’s Democracy Wall Movement and for uniting magazines throughout China. In 1982, he was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement”. Continue reading

No. 17 Fu Zheng Ming:Motamorphoses, Alienation and the Return of Human Essence

-On the Philosophical Implications of Ma Jian’s Novel Beijing Coma

Twenty five years have passed away since the massacre on the June Fourth 1989 in Beijing. The history provides inspiration for many stories. However, the dictatorial suppression by the Chinese authorities is still alive. The Chinese writer Ma Jian’s novel Beijing Coma (2009) is an epic novel focusing on the June Fourth Tragedy. Today it draws more attention to its meanings in both history and reality and its literary values. In my opinion, it is a novel with philosophical implications. Continue reading

No. 20 Liu Di: The Devil and the Heat Death

In the silence of the late night, only the computer in front of me was still creaking.

Suddenly I felt something flashing from my side. I turned around and found the Devil beside me. Continue reading

No. 20 Yen Minju: Making Love

With your finger short of a knuckle you gently caress my lips, quickly gliding towards my ear as if following the curve of a white porcelain plate’s golden rim. Continue reading

No. 17 Shi Tao: Song of October and Another

Song of October

A short poem at last seems like a tide of sounds
Sharply ending
Momentary silence has attracted
Rough and clumsy footsteps of the bise in winter
Now
Triumphal procession like a poem is somewhere
Gathering
Continue reading

No. 17 Liu Xia: The 2nd of June 1989 and Another

The 2nd of June 1989

— To Xiaobo

This is not a good weather
I under the flourishing sun
Said to myself Continue reading

No. 19 Liu Xiaobo: Listening to  Bald Lao Playing Flute

– To Lao Liao

It was never a suitable place for playing flute
But you miraculously
Turned your flesh into the sound of flute
The little restaurant was very simple
But offered extremely delicious grilled steak Continue reading

No. 13 Yu ZHANG: Case No. 59 (2005): Yasin, A Wild Pigeon’s Separatism

 From Wang Shiwei to Liu Xiaobo: Prisoners of Literary Inquisition under Communist Rule in China

YasinNurmuhemmet Yasin (March 6, 1974 – ), a Uyghur poet and writer, was sentenced in 2005 to ten year’s imprisonment on the change of inciting separatism for publishing his short story “Wild Pigeon”.

Continue reading