Calligraphy meeting (English spelling) shū huì

Japanese: 書会 - しょかい（英語表記）shū huì

During the Song and Yuan dynasties in China, with the development of urban economies, plays, storytelling, manzai, and other performing arts were actively performed in the theaters and comedy halls of big cities. The authors of these plays and performing arts were called "talents," and the trade associations organized by these talented people were called "calligraphy associations." Many of the dramas and novels of the time were not the work of individuals, but were created collectively by calligraphy associations, and it is thought that the later novel "Water Margin" was originally compiled by a calligraphy association. Calligraphy associations did not simply create works, but also adapted popular works, and competition between calligraphy associations was apparently fierce.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国の宋･元時代，都市経済の発達により，大都会の盛場の劇場や寄席では，芝居，講談，漫才，その他の演芸がさかんに演じられたが，それらの芝居や演芸の作者を〈才人〉といい，才人の組織した同業者組合を〈書会〉とよんだ。当時の戯曲小説には，個人の創作ではなく，書会による集団的創作であったものがかなりあり，のちの小説《水滸伝》なども，元来は書会によってまとめられたと考えられる。書会は単に創作だけでなく，流行作品の改作をも手がけ，書会間の競争も激しかったらしい。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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