"Guwen Guanzhi" was compiled and edited by Wu Chucai and Wu Diaohou, who at the time of the publication were working as teachers in a private village school in Shaoxing.Very little is known of Wu Chucai (given name Wu Chengquan 吳乘權, sobriquet Chucai, 楚才, 1655–1719), except that he was originally from Shaoxing and never became part of the established literati.