Yu Miao once owned an independent bookstore in China. While there, he lived in constant fear of the repercussions of harsh regulations and censorship on any store the government did not operate. The story may seem like a plot from a futuristic dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, but it reflects the daily reality in Communist China, where control prevails. The government suppresses freedom of expression, selling only government-approved books. This environment leaves little room for independent bookstore owners or indie publishers to thrive.
Rather than be ruled by fear, censorship, and the possibility of losing his dream forever, Yu made a decision that many other bookstore owners in China have made: he closed his shop moving to a country with more favourable regulations for the industry. He now owns a successful bookstore called “JF Books” in a chic neighbourhood in Washington, D.C., which houses over 10,000 books on many topics. This is a far cry from the small, censored store he operated in Shanghai six years ago.
Privately owned chains like the FanDeng and Sisyphe Bookstore are still operating in China, but they do so under the government’s watch and at a high cost, making them less profitable than they should be.
Yu’s nightmare may have ended six years ago, but the Chinese’s governments unrelenting political push to silence its people has not diminished. In June, Yuan Di, the owner of “Jiazazhi,” an artistic bookstore in Shanghai, was arrested, and the charges being laid against him are still unclear. The vision of being ripped from your home in the middle of the night and placed in jail for selling books seems like an impossibility, but we live in a place where freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It is difficult for us to understand this type of political climate.
Literature has always significantly affected society, and with great power comes great responsibility because words matter. Authors like George Orwell and Mark Twain have helped shape public opinion and educate society about injustices. Documented history warns us about the dangers of power and control. Without independent authors, we might remain unaware of the struggles faced by people in Africa or South Korea’s role in world peace negotiations.
Fortunately, China’s attempt to crack down on independent bookstore owners failed miserably. This effort had a surprising outcome, leading to the growth of a profitable industry in countries like France, Canada, Germany, and the United States, where censorship and regulatory rules are less strict. According to statistics from Google, independent bookstore owners generate incomes of 50 to 100 thousand dollars annually. This has a direct impact on the local economy.
This positive outcome for bookstore owners like Yu Miao is a testament to the power of resistance to oppression and the importance of freedom of expression.
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve a lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” — Robert F Kennedy.
Image screenshot from mynews article.
Writing has always been her passion and a voice for those who cannot speak. She considers herself fortunate to write every day and says her mantra is, “I drink coffee, write, and I know about people and technology.” Her writing is diverse and can be found online on websites like LifeHack, You Have a Calling, Medium, TechCrunch and, She Knows.
