Mei Jie - File Photo
Xinhua News Agency (Reporter Zhu Jianhua, Interns Zhou Lianqin and Zhang Weifeng) - The literary and historical research work of over a million words by Mei Jie, a young scholar from Hubei Province born in the 1980s, has recently garnered significant attention within the industry. Some professors from prestigious universities have even expressed their willingness to buy his articles for publication under their names.
Last month, the 300,000-word book "Reading and Remembering: Xu Junyuan's Literary Legacy," edited by Mei Jie, was published domestically. On Dangdang.com's new book bestseller list, this book ranked 11th yesterday, surpassing works such as "Fifty Years in China" by John Leighton Stuart and Rabindranath Tagore's "Stray Birds." This month, his 100,000-word book "Gentle Literary Edges - Jiang Feng's Reminiscences of the Literary Circle" will be published. Mei Jie has already edited and authored several works on literary history research, including "Langshan Notes," "On Feiming," and "Exploring Modern Literary History Materials," totaling over a million words.
Born in 1984 in Huangmei County, Hubei Province, Mei Jie graduated in 2007 from Wuhan University of Science and Technology City College, a private institution, with a Bachelor of Laws degree. Since childhood, he has been fond of literature and began publishing book reviews under the pen name "Meijie" during his university years. Upon graduation, he combined his major with his interests, writing a graduation thesis titled "A Brief Discussion on Law and Literature," which was later published in the journal "Broad Reading."
In April 2008, Mei Jie joined the Hubei Writers Association. Vice Chairman Xu Lu of the association commented that Mei Jie's research on modern intellectuals has had a positive impact in academic circles, showcasing a young scholar's solid academic attitude and pure writing style. Regarding grassroots young scholars like Mei Jie, Professor Chen Zishan from East China Normal University remarked that some current literature Ph.D.s possess less knowledge than amateur literary researchers without formal training.
As Mei Jie gains prominence in academia, he has drawn widespread attention. Yesterday, he revealed that several associate professors and Ph.D.s from prestigious universities, seeking promotion, were willing to pay him for articles written by him to publish under their names, but he declined. Mei Jie, who conducts research in his spare time, stated that his passion for literary history stems from both pure interest and the desire to continue cultural traditions.
Choosing a Life Path Despite Conflict with Father
Xinhua News Agency (Reporter Zhu Jianhua, Interns Zhang Weifeng and Zhou Lianqin) - As a member of the post-1980s generation, Mei Jie has already published multiple works, becoming a rising star in academia. It was through a conflict with his family that he eventually embarked on the path of literary and historical research.
During junior high school, Mei Jie often scored full marks in mathematics and English. In the first year of high school, he set his sights on becoming a writer, persisting in poetry and prose creation, and transferred from the science class to the humanities class.
His father was furious at his son's choice, arguing, "There's no future in this; it won't make money." During his four years of university, apart from tuition fees, Mei Jie rarely asked his family for money, sustaining himself on relatively modest royalties. He hoped to prove to his family that his choice was correct.
Initially, his family hoped that after graduation, Mei Jie would pursue a career in law, believing it "would better lead to success." Mei Jie said, "After I found my own way and could support myself, my family stopped opposing me."
He mentioned, "High school was my loneliest period. I would even walk alone by the mountains and rivers to relieve my inner distress." Now, if he doesn't read or write for a day, Mei Jie feels uneasy.
The two brothers of the Mei family, who both loved literature from a young age, have now taken two completely different paths in life. Mei Jie believes that although his brother earns more money monthly than he does, "his ideals have completely disappeared."
Helped Writers Successfully Recover Royalties While in University
Xinhua News Agency (Reporter Zhu Jianhua, Interns Zhou Lianqin and Zhang Weifeng) - As a Bachelor of Laws, Mei Jie helped several writers successfully recover royalties while still in university and was once called the "Wang Hai of Academia." Yesterday, he said that he still frequently encounters royalty delays.
In 2005, while studying at Wuhan University of Science and Technology City College, Mei Jie applied what he learned, informing the other party as a "legal worker" that legal action would be taken if the royalties were not paid, successfully helping children's literature writer Yang Peng and others recover their royalties. After receiving 1,550 yuan in royalties, Xie Xin, a member of the Chinese Association of Science Fiction Writers, sent Mei Jie 400 yuan as a token of gratitude.
Now, Mei Jie no longer refers to himself as a "legal worker" and often faces royalty delays. "The current situation is very unfair to authors, but there's nothing that can be done; when you ask for payment, they mock you," he said.
It is reported that Mei Jie's monthly royalty income is roughly equal to his salary. However, he spends most of it on books.