Rediscovering British literature

The ongoing show at the Mu Xin Art Museum in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, features manuscripts of such well-known British writers as George Byron, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Charles Lamb. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Speaking about the ongoing event, Ault says: "Mu Xin and Byron share similarities. They both traveled a lot, carried bits of paper with them wherever they went and wrote quickly."

On display at the show is the British poet's manuscript of his poem Love and Gold, which Byron probably did in one sitting.

The poem is dedicated to an unidentified woman, warning her of the perils of love.

It was published after Byron's death. For the work, the lord used every bit of the sheet of paper, writing on both sides, and made lots of corrections and changes.

He is likely to carry the sheet of paper with him since it had been folded.

The writing on it shows that Byron wrote quickly.

"The manuscripts are a window into the writing process of an author. There are stories behind them," says Ault.

Referring to Woolf, she says the author was a pioneer who used stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

Woolf 's draft of Mrs Dalloway written in 1924, which is on display at the exhibition, is quite different from the final version published a year later.

Ault says the manuscript shows that Woolf edited her works extensively. It was originally two short stories but was finally developed into one.

In the book, Mu is reported to have said that he couldn't understand Woolf, despite reading her works again and again, until he was in his 60s.