To Shen Yanbing1
(September 23, 1949)
Brother Yanbing,
I have read your letter. I wrote a dedication,2 but I am not sure it is suitable. It
would be better for the cover to be written by either you or Brother [Guo] Moruo.3
It would not be good for me to write it.
Mao Zedong
Our source for this letter is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, p. 341, where it is reproduced
from a photocopy of Mao Zedong’s handwritten manuscript.
1.  Shen Yanbing (aka Mao Dun, 1896–1981, born in Wuzhen, Jiaxing) was vice-chairman of the All-China Association of Literary and Art Workers and editor-in-chief of the
journal Renmin wenxue (People’s Literature). He went to Yan’an in 1940 and lectured at the
Lu Xun Academy of Art and Literature.
2.  Mao Zedong wrote the sentence “In hopes of more good works coming into the
world” as the dedication for the inaugural issue of Renmin wenxue (People’s Literature) on
September 23, 1949.
3.  Guo Moruo was chairman of the All-China Association of Literary and Art Workers.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-325