The "Poetic Bijie" 2026 writing event for emerging popular literature authors was launched on Friday in Bijie, Guizhou province. "New popular" poets from different walks of life — from farm fields to mines and factory floors — gathered at the foot of the Wumeng Mountains to connect through poetry.
Li Shaojun, editor-in-chief of Poetry Periodical, says poetry has never belonged solely to the world of academia or study. Since The Book of Songs, an ancient Chinese collection of poetry dating from the 11th to 6th centuries BC, poetry has taken root in everyday life. The concept of "new popular" poetry is precisely about returning to poetry's most authentic source — taking poetry beyond narrow circles and bringing it into the vastness of society and closer to the broadest possible audience.
Following the launch ceremony, a sharing and exchange event for new popular poetry was held. Participants agreed that the essence of new popular poetry lies in transforming the creative subject from the "one being written about" into "the writer". Writers working on the front lines of production and labor draw on their own real lives as a starting point for their work, bringing poetry back to everyday life. New popular poetry does not measure work using identity labels, but instead allows the work itself to be measured according to its worth. Everyday life is the foundation, and poetic quality is the height; neither can be neglected.
On the same day, an unveiling ceremony for three literary and art masters' studios was also held. Using Bijie's local cultural resources, they will establish regular cooperation in poetry creation, talent cultivation, and the promotion of works, injecting sustained momentum into Bijie's literary and artistic undertakings.
A creative exploration group will next visit a number of places for field research and creative exploration. The group aims to guide poets to delve deep into daily life and work closely with communities, drawing inspiration from Bijie's mountains and rivers, as well as the everyday life of its people. It also seeks to promote the development of new popular literature and art in Bijie, allowing it to take root, flourish and bear fruit in the region.
Poetry created during the exploration period will be selectively featured in a special publication by Poetry Periodical, using literature to showcase the beauty of Bijie's landscape, culture, and people.
