The Fifteenth Hong Kong International Literary Festival takes place from 31 October to 8 November with audiences invited to immerse themselves in a series of solo talks, dynamic panel discussions, readings, lectures, book signings, interactive workshops and Q&A sessions.
Christine Van, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors says, “We are thrilled to present a diverse line-up of authors this year, paying special focus to short works and the themes of identity, immigration, and sexuality. We continue to celebrate Hong Kong’s literary talent and provide platforms for local writers to share their work whilst connecting with international authors.”
“The Festival’s mission is to provide our community with the opportunity to enjoy and engage with world-class literature”, explains Programme Manager Phillipa Milne. “We are proud to offer a truly international line-up this year, that not only invites festival-goers to connect with the roots of Hong Kong, but also to explore further afield.”
Highlights of the 2015 programme include:
- An Evening with Dame Margaret Drabble – An opportunity to spend an evening with one of the world’s best-known writers. Enjoy a fine dinner with wine and hear Dame Margaret talk about a career that has spanned over five decades.
- A. C. Grayling on Happiness – Inimitable philosopher A. C. Grayling will join the Festival for a number of events, including a lecture on how, why and where we seek happiness.
- Cooking with Ken Hom – Culinary legend Ken Hom will whip up a feast in a pre-Festival exclusive event where, in an open kitchen, he will give the audience the unique opportunity to learn more about his extensive career as a chef, TV presenter and author.
- Magic with Lev Grossman – Author of the fantasy trilogy The Magicians, will help you escape from the real world as he talks about his “Harry Potter for grown-ups” series.
- Gaysia with Benjamin Law – Australian writer Benjamin Law explores the LGBT scene in Asia.
- Short Works, Big Ideas – Zambian writer and Caine Prize winner Namwali Serpell talks about short fiction and offers advice to budding writers. Local writers Tammy Ho and Collier Nogues unite with British poet Luke Kennard in a lively panel discussion to explore the future of short works.
- Women in Writing – International female authors, including Susan Choi, PP Wong, Anna Smaill and Monica Cantieni will converge with Hong Kong-based female writers, including Leta Hong Fincher, Dorothy Tse, Sonia Wong and Shannon Young in a wide range of events throughout the Festival period.
- Immigration & Identity – American writer and critic Jabari Asim exploresl narratives in black culture in “Black Voices Matter” and PP Wong talks about race relations and her debut novel The Life of a Banana.
- Local writers – Showcases Hong Kong writers and looks to promote their work. Events that will do this include:
- Our Future Voices -an opportunity to hear students from local universities share their creative writing.
- Four Poets – Hong Kong-based poets Nicholas Wong, James Shea, Collier Nogues and Tammy Ho come together to discuss a new wave of poetry that has emerged following the Umbrella Movement.
List of Visiting Authors
Jabari Asim, Adrien Bosc, Susan Blumberg-Kason, Monica Cantieni, Susan Choi, Dame Margaret Drabble, A. C. Grayling, Lev Grossman, Ken Hom, Luke Kennard, Benjamin Law, Mike Meyer, Namwali Serpell, Haresh Sharma, Anna Smaill, Rebecca Swift, Elsie Sze, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, PP Wong, Xu Zechen
List of Local Authors
David Bandurski, Doug Clark, Graham Earnshaw, Elizabeth Ho, Leta Hong Fincher, Ray Hecht, Tammy Ho, Polly Ho, Sreedhevi Iyer, Linda Kennedy, Elbert Lee, Marshall Moore, Jason Ng, Collier Nogues, David Nunan, Mishi Saran, James Shea, Elizabeth Sinn, Nick Thorpe, Dorothy Tse, Sebastian Veg, Phil Whelan, Nicholas Wong, Sonia Wong, Shannon Young, Xu Xi
Hong Kong International Literary Festival
Date: 31 October – 8 November
Venue: various
Tickets: various
More info:
for the the full festival schedule www.festival.org.hk/programmes/
Celebrated Japanese novelist Hideo Yokoyama made waves worldwide with his crime thriller Six Four, the first of his books to be translated into English. It sold over a million copies in six days in Japan.
