Ba Jin (1904 - 2005)
Fri Nov 25, 1904
Li Yaotang, better known by his pen name Ba Jin, was an anarchist Chinese author, activist, and political dissident born on this day in 1904. Persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, Ba Jin was later rehabilitated in 1977.
Influenced by Peter Kropotkin, Ba Jin's politics drew heavily from anarchist political thinking. From 1927 to 1928, Ba Jin lived in France, meeting many anarchists, including Alexander Berkman, translating some of his works.
Ba Jin was persecuted by Mao's Cultural Revolution - he was forced to rewrite some of his works accommodate state policy and his wife died while being denied medical care by the government. He was officially rehabilitated by the state in 1977 and went on to serve as chairman of the Chinese Writers' Association.
"My pen is alight and my body aflame. Until both burn down to ash, my love and my hate will remain here in the world."
- Ba Jin
- Date: 1904-11-25
- Learn More: www.katesharpleylibrary.net, en.wikipedia.org.
- Tags: #Birthdays, #Anarchism.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org