Translation, Disinformation, and Wuhan Diary

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During the early COVID-19 crisis, Fang Fang's Wuhan Diary offered a crucial perspective on the outbreak and its impact on daily life. However, when news of its international publication emerged in April 2020, Fang Fang faced a barrage of online attacks from "Chinese ultra-nationalists." These escalated into one of the most extensive hate campaigns against a Chinese writer in decades. As the controversy grew in China, Fang Fang became a global figure, recognized by the BBC as one of the most influential women of 2020 and featured in numerous international news stories. This book, penned by the translator of Wuhan Diary into English, combines a personal account of the translation process with critical insights on how the diary sparked intense political debate and became a target of a widespread online campaign likened to a "cyber Cultural Revolution." The translator, Berry, also found herself embroiled in the attacks, facing thousands of online trolls. The book explores why an online diary provoked such strong reactions from Chinese netizens, how the controversy developed, who orchestrated it, and what the "Fang Fang Incident" reveals about contemporary Chinese politics and society. It will appeal to students and scholars of translation, as well as those interested in US-Chinese relations and internet culture.