Wei Wei (Chinese: 魏巍; pinyin: Wèi Wéi; March 6, 1920 – August 24, 2008), originally known as Hong Jie (simplified Chinese: 鸿杰; traditional Chinese: 鴻傑; pinyin: Hóng Jié), was a Chinese poet, a prose writer, a literary report writer, a journalist, a vice-editor-in-chief and the editor of various newspapers in China. His works are noted for their themes of patriotism, communism, and nationalism. Apart from using the name Wei Wei, he once used the pen name Hong Yangshu (紅陽樹) in some of his publications. He changed his name from Hong Jie to Wei Wei in 1937 when he had started a new page of his life, a political one.

Wei Wei
Native name
魏巍
BornWei Hongjie (魏鸿杰)
(1920-03-06)March 6, 1920
Zhengzhou, Henan, China
DiedAugust 24, 2008(2008-08-24) (aged 88)
Beijing, China
Pen nameHongyangshu (红杨树)
OccupationNovelist
LanguageChinese
Period1951 - 1980s
GenreNovel
Notable worksEast
Notable awardsMao Dun Literary Prize
1982 Orient
SpouseLiu Qiuhua (刘秋华)

Biography

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Wei Wei was born into a poor family in Zhengzhou, Henan, and received a rudimentary primary education. He showed early interest in calligraphy and literature, but was unable to receive much education after elementary school, when both of his parents died. He was largely self-taught and was greatly influenced by the radical Chinese literature of the 1920s and 30s, including works by authors like Lu Xun and Mao Dun.

Wei Wei joined the Eighth Route Army at the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and was educated to be a propagandist and journalist. After joining the Chinese Communist Party in 1938, he rose quickly through party ranks. He became known for reporting from the front lines, which continued throughout the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He also became known for composing a series of Communist-themed novels, short stories, and operas.

Wei died on August 24, 2008, in Beijing.[1]

Works

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Poetry

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Prose

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Fiction

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Non-fiction

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Wei Wei Died" (in Chinese). Sina.com. 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2008-08-26.

References

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Further reading

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  1. 《魏巍專集》廣西師範學院中文系編 (1979)
  2. 《魏巍評傳》楊柄, 田怡, 方東著 (2000)
  3. 《中華散文珍藏本》〈魏巍卷〉 (2000)
  4. 《魏巍文集》(魏巍主編, 2000)