Liu Xiaobo’s Dying Words for His Wife
Mr. Geng also called Mr. Liu’s Nobel Prize a "blasphemy." "His words
and deeds go against the principles and purposes of the peace prize," Mr. Geng said.
The editor said Mr. Liu had made contact late last month and that people close to Mr. Liu later passed on pictures of his notes from the hospital.
Ms. Liu’s book may include a few poems that speak of her bond with Mr. Liu,
and of the isolation and anguish she endured while he was imprisoned, said the editor, who is seeking a foreign publisher.
In one poem dedicated to Mr. Liu, which was shared by the editor, Ms. Liu wrote: I know sooner
or later the day will come When you’ll leave me And walk alone down the road of darkness.
" Mr. Wu said. that If she stays in China, the house arrest and surveillance won’t let up for several years at least,
But Mr. Liu’s handwritten preface also reflected his passion for art, literature and ideas, a side of him
that became obscured in the focus on his political activism and his Nobel Prize.
At a briefing on Friday, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, bristled at the international criticism
that followed Mr. Liu’s death and brushed aside repeated questions about whether Ms. Liu would be allowed to leave the country.
Mr. Liu’s notes were for the preface of an unpublished collection of his wife’s photographs provisionally titled "Accompanying Liu Xiaobo." His notes
and the photo collection were shared by a Chinese editor who was a friend of the couple and who had helped compile the book.