80-year-old man to publish own novel (3)

Wei Xinmin, an 80-year-old man from the city of Shangluo in China’s northwest Shaanxi province, is preparing to publish a 190,000-word novel, which took him three years to finish. 

“I fell in love with literature when I was a kid, and I haven’t given it up since,” Wei said, explaining his enthusiasm for writing. “I used to publish short novels and stories in magazines,” he added.

Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, Wei still focused all his energy on the novel.

In order to write it, Wei even learned to type on a computer. His fellow villagers affectionately refer to him as the old man who is obsessed with writing novels.

The novel, which is the first in a trilogy, depicts the way ordinary people pursue their dreams and introduces the history of Shangluo, which was the birthplace of the Shang dynasty (1600–1050 B.C.). Some of the characters are also based on Wei’s own life experiences.

“If my health allows, I will finish the other two novels. They are like the trilogy of my life,” Wei said.

When the first draft was finished in 2014, Wei decided to publish the novel at his own expense. Even though his family was not very supportive, Wei thinks doing this will give him a sense of achievement.

Wei’s neighbor, Zhao Qihou, thinks it is admirable that Wei could write anything given his condition. Feng Jianshun, Wei’s army buddy, felt very touched by the elements of Shang culture in the novel after reading it.

Jia Jianxia, former deputy director of the local publicity department, applauded Wei’s creation.

“With strong appeal and a touch of mystery, the novel is both true literature and a textbook for life,” Jia said.