Fang Fang (real name Wang Fang), former president of the Hubei Writers’ Association, wrote a book called “Wuhan Diary”, which was published in Europe and the United States, and was criticized by Chinese media for “smearing China’s image. In an interview with Radio France Internationale, Fang Fang said that the book cost her a lot, as she was rejected by the authorities, forced to change her literary career, and even threatened with her life.
In the interview, Fang recalls her motivation for writing the book, saying that she was only a person who writes for a living and “simply and casually wanted to record what was happening and her impressions at the moment, without any other ideas.”
Fang mentioned that at the beginning of Wuhan’s closure, she received an offer from Harvest Magazine in Shanghai to write an article about the city’s closure, but she refused. It was not until 10 days after she published her first article on Weibo that she was contacted by an editor from a publishing house, who wanted Fang to publish a book of her insights and stories about the city closure.
Fang Fang said in an exclusive interview, “At first, there was also some resistance, after all, the situation in Wuhan at that time was very unpromising.” But after communication back and forth, and after the epidemic got better, her thoughts gradually changed. “As a writer, of course I want my work to be read, so if I have the opportunity to publish a book, then of course I will choose to do so, it’s very natural.”
But as Fang’s articles on Weibo became widely circulated, some praised her for the warmth and truthfulness of her writing, but she attracted a lot of public opinion attacks, “arguing that her writing did not match the facts and caused unrest and disturbance in people’s hearts.”
Fang Fang recalls that many netizens cyber-bullied her, questioned her about rumors, and even sent her life-threatening comments, and these attacks have not yet stopped.
After Fang Fang published Wuhan Diary, her literary career has been completely changed. She was ostracized by the authorities and the literary community, and could no longer review or publish articles in magazines, nor could she participate in various literary activities. According to Fang, “This shows that ultra-left nationalism is deeply rooted in China, especially in the minds of government officials.” To avoid threats to her personal safety, she now tries to go out as little as possible.
In the interview, Fang recalls that at the moment Wuhan was unsealed, “I didn’t feel free, but grateful to have been spared.”
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