Sunday, April 12, 2020

Fang Fang responds to the controversies behind Wuhan Diary

Reporter : Li Yun
Editor : Wang Ping'an
Publisher : New Tang Dynasty Television
Ref : https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2020/04/12/a102821460.html
Extract translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan
                                           / KUCINTA SETIA

Image : Fang Fang, former chairperson of the Hubei Writers Association in China. (Web picture)


The diary written by the Chinese writer Fang Fang during the lockdown days of Wuhan was published overseas in English and German, and triggering the siege by the China Communist Party (CCP)’s leftists. Fang Fang responded on 11 April 2020 that it would be naive to think that selling books abroad is an act of country betrayal. If such a mild record has caused hatred by so many people, it will scare countless people.

WeChat Scholar's public account interviewed Fang Fang on 11 April 2020. She was asked whether the cover and introduction of the English and German versions of Amazon recently appeared on Amazon were authorized by her.

Fang Fang responded, "I got my authorization, but it's not like some people on the Internet said it was a pre-approval, and publishing a book is a natural process."

From the day of Lunar New Year (25 January 2020), Fang Fang began to record Wuhan under the closure of the city on Sina Weibo. At first, she did not intend to write every day. Later, for various reasons, her Weibo account was banned, and she was attacked by the ultra-leftist forces, that caused her to have an idea of ​​writing a diary. This mood is a bit like Dr. Ai Fen "I say everywhere".

Reading the stories recorded one day at a time, others called it a diary, and Fang Fang did not object to it.

Fang Fang's novel translator, Michael Berry, contacted her on 17 February 2020 to express his wish to translate these online lockdown diary stories.

At that time, Fang Fang said that she had no idea of ​​publishing a book for the time being. By the end of February, many domestic and foreign publishing houses contacted her. So she informed Michael Berry and authorized the global copyright to the agent in early March.

The report said that Fang Fang decided that both the Chinese and English versions would donate all the manuscript fees for this book to help some people who should help. Michael Berry and copyright agents also said that they would donate some to help Wuhan people.

Fang Fang said, "Don't think of everyone as bad people. Don't think that selling a book abroad is betraying a country. This idea is very naive."

The report said that there were originally more than 10 publishing houses in China who wanted to publish these stories but Fang Fang said that a small number of ultra-leftists kept yelling, "At present, all domestic publishing houses are afraid to go out." "My publishers are still working hard at home, hoping to get ahead of publishing abroad. They are very dedicated and I am very touched."



Fang Fang’s Diary in English, Wuhan Diary, will be released by Harper Collins, one of the world's largest publishers, for global sale on 18 August 2020. (Image above : Network screenshot)

The electronic version of Wuhan Diary will be released on 30 June 2020 and is currently accepting pre-orders on Amazon's official website. The German translation of Fang Fang's diary is slightly different in German, and is translated as "Wuhan's Diary of the Lockdown City", which will be published by the famous German publisher Hoffmann und Campe.

After the book is officially published, the content will be slightly revised, but Fang Fang emphasized that what she wrote is true and there are no rumours.

Fang Fang said that it is normal for Chinese writers to publish works overseas. Authors are willing to read more of their works. The August edition of the English version is also released at a normal time. As the content is only about 130,000 words, there will be pre-sales abroad.

The original version, Fang Fang's Diary, in Chinese, is about the helpless and sad side of Wuhan people in the covid epidemic situation, who constantly demanded accountability. At present, there is public opinion hype. Such content may be "providing ammunition for foreign forces" to bring the CCP authority to account for the pandemic. 

Fang Fang responded by saying that since it was deliberately used, "Will you use it when you publish any books? Isn't it because someone uses us? Don't we don't publish books? When did the Chinese fear such foreigners?" She remarked that people with "conspiracy theories" are more suitable to write novels.

Fang Fang was asked. Since she wrote her diary, she has been attacked wave after wave. This wave is nothing more than a kidnapping of national interests to threaten her. 

She emphasized that there is "no tension" between her book and China, and she just records the situation in Wuhan truthfully.

She wrote not only the content of grief and accountability, but also how the epidemic was effectively controlled, and wrote to medical staff, volunteers, and grassroots cadres assisted by foreigners who came to Wuhan to assist. If such a moderate record cannot be tolerated and would cause hatred by so many people, it will make countless people feel scared.

"Have you ever thought about why so many people support me? Because my speech scale is the speech scale that most people have. If I can't even tolerate it, everyone will be afraid. Fang Fang also pointed out that there are now some extreme leftists attacking her, "almost like the Cultural Revolution", Fang Fang said.

Fang Fang questioned that China’s network management technology is now very advanced but it has allowed a large number of insults and rumours against her on the Internet in the past two months. She really wants to know who their backstage is.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the The Global Times, also claimed on Weibo on 8 April 2020 that Fang Fang's Diary was not of good taste, lacked energy.

Fang Fang said on Weibo that day that she was scolded for everything she said, and she really learned about online violence. The extreme left force is really powerful and powerful, and compares her attackers to "viruses" that in turn infect others.

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