The British Museum has acknowledged its use of translations of Qiu Jin’s poems in a new exhibition without obtaining permission from the translator. The museum’s actions have been criticized by Yilin Wang, the translator, who identifies with the she/they pronouns. In a series of tweets, Wang expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of credit given for their translation work. Qiu Jin was a renowned Chinese revolutionary and feminist writer who was executed after an unsuccessful uprising against the Qing dynasty in 1907.
Wang strongly voiced their concerns, stating, “It’s come to my attention that your exhibit ‘China’s hidden century’ uses my translations of Qiu Jin’s poetry, but you never contacted me for permission. Please note this is a copyright infringement!” Subsequently, Wang demanded the immediate removal of all their translations from the exhibit, including any related materials, unless the museum offers appropriate compensation.
In response, the British Museum issued a statement acknowledging the omission of permissions and credit for Yilin Wang’s translation in the exhibition “China’s hidden century.” The museum recognized the unintentional human error and apologized to Wang. They promptly removed all of Wang’s translations from the exhibit and offered financial compensation for the duration the translations were displayed at the institution.
The British Museum emphasized their commitment to respecting copyright permissions and stated that they actively make efforts to contact rights owners for all forms of media involved in their work. They admitted that this particular project presented complications, resulting in inadvertent mistakes that fell short of their usual standards.
The museum also addressed the personal attacks on social media that its staff faced from supporters of Wang. They stood firmly behind their colleagues and urged those responsible to cease these attacks, ensuring that they are actively working with Yilin Wang to address their concerns regarding the use of their translations in the exhibition.
Following the British Museum’s statement, Wang confirmed that they received the payment offer. However, they also received an email from the museum stating, “We will not be reinstating the translations in the exhibition that have been removed following your complaint, and therefore you will not be acknowledged in the exhibition as your work will not be featured.”
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