Li ZHANG

Thesis title: A Digital Chinese Nation: Military-Themed Internet Novels, Cultural Populism and Cyber Nationalism in the Xi Jinping Era

Background

Before starting my PhD studies at Edinburgh, I completed my first master's degree in new media & digital publishing at Wuhan University (2015-2018) and the second in anthropology at LSE (2018-2019). During the period my student identity was interrupted, I tried and enjoyed several different jobs, such as translator, IELTS tutor, and project manager. Eventually, I decided the journey of doing a doctorate was one I could not resist

Research summary

I have a broad interest in the interactions between individuals and various types of texts, including fiction, films, podcasts, and music. Particularly, I am fascinated by the articulation between popular cultural and political reproduction by means of individuals' everyday textual consumption.  

Current research interests

My thesis unfolds around military-themed internet novels, cultural populism, and digital nationalism in contemporary mainland China.

Past research interests

Comparative observations on Indian and Chinese modernities through the prism of blockbuster films; the ecology of internet novel industry in mainland China.