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Wuhan Diary

Wuhan Diary

Dispatches from a Quarantined City
Contemporary LiteratureMemoir
Pages
400
Published
2020
Language
English

Synopsis

From one of China's most acclaimed and decorated writers comes a powerful first-person account of life in Wuhan during the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. In January 2020, as the city was locked down, Fang Fang began publishing an online diary that gave voice to the fear, frustration, and hope of millions caught in the crisis — reflecting on isolation, the role of social media, and the tragic loss of neighbors and friends. Blending intimate moments with a larger historical record, Wuhan Diary captures both the personal toll of the epidemic and its broader societal impact, making it an essential eyewitness account of one of the defining events of the early 21st century.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkReflective

Genres

Contemporary Literature Memoir History Travel

Authors

B
Berry, Michael

Michael Berry is known for Hospital, a book that takes readers inside the world of medicine. His writing offers a clear look at healthcare.

Frequently asked questions

  • How did the book's publication impact the author and translator?

    The international release of the diary triggered a significant and protracted online backlash against Fang Fang, with critics accusing her of providing ammunition to foreign entities to criticize China. The translator, Michael Berry, also became a target of this campaign, receiving numerous threats and harassment for his role in bringing the work to an English-speaking audience.

  • Was this book originally intended for publication as a single volume?

    The entries were written as nightly online posts during the lockdown without an initial plan to compile them into a book. The transition from short, real-time digital vignettes to a printed volume was an urgent, rapid process completed shortly after the final entry was posted.

  • Is there a companion work that explores the controversy surrounding this book?

    Michael Berry, the book's translator, authored a separate work titled Translation, Disinformation, and Wuhan Diary, which provides a detailed account of the translation process and analyzes the intense political debate and cyber campaign that followed the diary's publication.