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There are three books on calligraphy the title Lunshu 論書 "Discourse on calligraphy". Two of them were written during the Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420-589), one by Wang Sengqian 王僧虔 (425–485), and the other by Yu Yuanwei 庾元威 (first half 6th cent.). The third Lunshu was written by Xu Hao 徐浩 (703–782) during the Tang period 唐 (618-907).
Wang Sengqian (426-485) was a fourth-generation descendent of the great calligraphy master Wang Xizhi 王羲之 (303–361). He hailed from Linyi 臨沂 in the commandery of Langye 琅邪 (in today's Shanghai province). He served the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479) as governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Wuling 武陵. His highest offices were Minister of Personnel (libu shangshu 吏部尚書), and then Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu ling 尚書令). Under the Southern Qi dynasty 南齊 (479-502), he was metropolitan magistrate (yin 尹) of Danyang 丹陽. His posthumous title is Jianmu 簡穆公. Once asked by Emperor Gaodi 齊高帝 who was the greatest master of calligraphy, Wang responded that if he himself was the best one among the emperor's subjects, Emperor Gaodi was the best among all emperors. Three of Wang's artworks have survived: Wang Yan tie 王琰帖, Yushi tie 御史帖 and Chenqing tie 陳情帖. Apart from the Lunshu, Wang also wrote an eulogy an calligraphy, Biyi zan 筆意讚, and a rhapsody, Shufu 書賦.
His Lunshu is a critique of about 40 famous calligraphers from the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) to the Southern Dynasties. The book is highly praised as an appropriate critique.
The text of Wang's Lunshu is quoted in Wang's biographies in the official dynastic histories Nanqishu 南齊書 and Nanshi 南史, as well as in the books Shuyuan jinghua 書苑菁華, Fashu yaolu 法書要錄 and Mochibian 墨池編. It is also found in the series Lidai shufa lunwen xuan 歷代書法論文選. The bibliographical chapter (202-209 Yiwen zhi 藝文志) of the dynastic history Songshi 宋史 and that in the encyclopaedia Yuhai 玉海 list Wang Sengqian's book with the wrong title Pingshu 評書.
The dates of life of Yu Yuanwei, courtesy name Shaoming 少明, are not known. He lived during the Liang period 梁 (502-557).
The text discusses the need for training and studying calligraphy, problems and doubts related to calligraphy, and his own achievements in the study of calligraphy, for instance, his hundred-styles screen (baiti pingfeng 百體屏風) which presented twenty-four types of miscellaneous seal scripts (zati zhuan 雜體篆).
Yu suggest to keep to the works of Yin Jun 殷鈞 (484–532) and Fan Huaiyue 范懷約 for regular script (zhengshu 正書) and those of Zhang Rong 張融 (444–497) and Wang Sengqian for grass script (caoshu 草書). The training of calligraphy aimed at internalising the rules of the brush, the composition of characters, and the weight of each brush stroke. He gives many examples of excellent calligraphers to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
Yu doubts that the calligraphic glossary Cangjiepian 倉頡篇 was written by the legalist Counsellor-in-chief Li Si 李斯 (d. 208 BCE) of the Qin dynasty秦 (221-206 BCE). He praises Ruan Xiaoxu's 阮孝緒 (479-536) Gujin wenzi 古今文字 and Wuguan Qiuling's 五官丘祾 Wenzi zhiyao 文字指要 as very helpful for the study and training of calligraphy.
Yu's text is quoted in the books Fashu yaolu and Mochibian 墨池編.
Xu Hao (703-781), courtesy name Jihai 季海, hailed from the prefecture of Yuezhou 越州 (today's Shaoxing 紹興, Zhejiang). He was drafter in the Imperial Secretariat (zhongshu sheren 中書舍人), the Junior xxx 太子少師，後進國子祭酒、歷工部侍郎、吏部侍郎等. Xu was invested with the title of Commandery Duke of Guiji 會稽郡公, for which reason he is also known as Xu Guiji 徐會稽. More than sixty texts of stone-slab inscriptions written by Xu Hao are recorded in the catalogue Baoke congbian 寶刻叢編. Rubbings of the Bukong Heshang bei 不空和尚碑 and Taizhi Chanshi bei 大智禪師碑 have survived, as well as the calligraphed text Zhu Juchen gaoshen 朱巨川告身.
The first part of Xu's Lunshu is a detailed discussion of the works of famous calligraphers from the time, namely Ouyang Xun 歐陽詢 (557–641), Yu Shinan 虞世南 (558–638), Chu Suiliang 褚遂良 (596–658), and Xue Ji 薛稷 (649–713). The latter part discusses the essentials of studying calligraphy, of being concise and precise, and provides appropriate critiques. Xu approaches this topic by reporting his personal experiences. A student of calligraphy had first to learn about "muscles and bones" (jingu 筋骨) of characters, and to "hide sharp points" (cang feng 藏鋒) inside each brush stroke. The relation of each brush stroke to the others was of utmost importance, and attention was to be paid to the distance, size, thickness, velocity, balance and protrusion. Following these principles, Xu says, ensures the proper balance and proportions of characters. Mastery of the calligraphic art required practice over a long period of time, and not just "a hundred days" (shu wu bai ri gong 書無百日工).
The text is quoted in the books Xuanhe shupu 宣和書譜 (with the title Fashu lun 法書論), Fashu yaolu, Mochibian 墨池編 (with the title Shufa lun 書法論) and in the series Lidai shufa lunwen xuan.