A collection of literary essays based on interviews with a dozen well-known Chinese artists has been published in Beijing.

Entitled "Yilin Xiejing", the book contains paintings and calligraphy by artists including Qi Gong, Yuang Yongyu and Jin Shangyi.

The book was written by Yuan Huizhen and took six years to complete. Li Xiongcai, a painter who has established his fame in south China, wrote the preface and the book's title. (Xinhua)