Campus Digest

HKBU greets international writers at welcoming reception

23 Oct 2013

Mrs. Pamela Chan, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court (centre), Professor Albert Chan (3rd from left), Professor Douglas Robinson (4th from right), Professor Kathleen Ahrens (2nd from left) and writers kick off this year’s International Writers’ Workshop Mrs. Pamela Chan, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court (centre), Professor Albert Chan (3rd from left), Professor Douglas Robinson (4th from right), Professor Kathleen Ahrens (2nd from left) and writers kick off this year’s International Writers’ Workshop
Mrs. Pamela Chan, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court (centre), Professor Albert Chan (3rd from left), Professor Douglas Robinson (4th from right), Professor Kathleen Ahrens (2nd from left) and writers kick off this year’s International Writers’ Workshop

 

HKBU greeted international writers of this year’s International Writers’ Workshop (IWW) yesterday (22 October 2013) at a welcome reception. The theme for this year’s IWW is “Passages through Time: Endings and Beginnings”. The visiting writers are now in residence at HKBU for a month of cross-cultural literary exchange with members of the University community, the local literary circles as well as the general public.

The IWW writers this year are Ms. Maxine Case (fiction writer, South Africa), Ms. Marjorie Evasco (poet, Philippines), Mr. Petri Karra (fiction writer and screenwriter, Finland), Mr. Aleksandr Skidan (poet, critic, editor and translator, Russia), Sonya Sones (poet and fiction writer, USA ), Mr. Gan Yao-ming (fiction writer, Taiwan), and Mr. Zhaxi Dawa (fiction writer and playwright, Mainland China). (Mr. Aleksandr Skidan and Mr. Zhaxi Dawa will not be in residence due to unexpected last-minute circumstances.)

Officiating at the ceremony were Professor Albert Chan, President and Vice-Chancellor, HKBU; Professor Douglas Robinson, Dean of Arts, HKBU; and Professor Kathleen Ahrens, Director, International Writers’ Workshop, HKBU.

Addressing the audience, President Chan said: “This is the tenth year of the International Writers’ Workshop, and I am glad that our students have been provided with this valuable opportunity to learn from creative writers worldwide.” He also thanked Mr. Albert Hung and Mrs. Jessica Hung, as well as The Mr. and Mrs. Yeh Mou Chong Charitable Trust for their generous support to this unique programme.

At the Welcome Ceremony and Creative Works Recital, the attending visiting writers read from their work and shared their creative thoughts on time with guests.

HKBU launched the IWW in 2004, the first workshop of its kind in Asia. With a specific theme each year, the Workshop aims to encourage and enhance literary creativity within the University community as well as in Hong Kong. It also introduces writers from around the globe to Hong Kong life and culture.

For information on the writers and the public and campus activities that they will attend, please refer to http://iww.hkbu.edu.hk.