徐达

Xu Da is an author whose biographical information is currently limited in publicly available sources; his name appears in the attribution of the book Selections of Refined Literature (Wen Xuan, six volumes). Judging from the work associated with him, Xu Da was involved in the compilation, arrangement, or study of the Wen Xuan, an important ancient Chinese anthology of poetry and prose that has long served as a basic text for the study of classical literature. Editions and scholarly work related to the Wen Xuan have had a lasting influence on both scholarship and general reading. Because reliable records of his dates, birthplace, education, and official career have not been found, this entry makes no inferences about them and introduces him only through his connection with the Wen Xuan as reflected in the library's holdings. A fuller account of Xu Da's life must await further public documentation; for now, he may be regarded as an author known in bibliographic records through his work on the Wen Xuan.