Miss Afra Zhao Wang

Afra Wang is a writer, researcher, and podcaster. She finished her Master’s degree in International and World History at Columbia University and London School of Economics. Afra’s byline has appeared in New York Times Chinese Website, Initium Media, and Iris Magazine, a leading online publication of Chinese film critics. As a writer, Afra covers a wide range of issues such as nationalism, gender, Chinese millennials, U.S. politics, and social changes in U.S. and China. In 2017, she was awarded “Editorial Excellence” from The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA), the most prestigious journalism award in Asia.

Afra uses her skills in theoretical, historical, and cultural analysis and broad knowledge of the history of popular culture and social media to contribute to the podcast ‘Loud Murmurs,” which she co-founded with her friends in March 2018. Loud Murmurs is a weekly podcast dedicated to intellectual discussions of U.S. pop culture. Loud Murmurs was born on International Women’s Day in 2018. This podcast intends to digest bi-cultured young people’s daily consumption of cultural products. Loud Murmurs often discuss gender issues and promote social justice by deconstructing popular culture. So far, Loud Murmurs have produced many episodes covering from Marvel blockbuster Black Panther to HBO show Westworld, from Netflix reality show Queer Eye to Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs.

As a historian, Afra’s master’s dissertation focuses on contemporary US-­China, UK-China relations and soft power regarding the negotiation over Hong Kong’s sovereignty. Previously, Afra was an intern at Asia Society in New York City.

Have lived in Beijing, LA, New York, and London, Afra seized the opportunities to explore the art and cultural landscape by devoting her spare time to museums, galleries, and archives.