Press Release

HKBU Chinese Writers' Workshop names renowned writers Ho Sok Fong, Lu Nei and Keith Liu as Writers-in-Residence

Tuesday, 01 Mar 2022

Founded by the Faculty of Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), the Chinese Writers' Workshop (CWW) will host the 2nd "Chinese Writers-in-Residence Programme" (CWR) and the "Hong Kong Writers-in-Residence Programme" (HKWR) from 7 March to 7 April. The three Writers-in-Residence, namely Ms Ho Sok Fong from Malaysia, Mr Lu Nei from mainland China, and Mr Keith Liu from Hong Kong, will share their works and experience with Hong Kong readers at various virtual events as guest writers, including the "Writers' Reading and Conversation", individual talks and writing workshops.

The Faculty of Arts at HKBU has long been committed to promoting creativity and developing different creative projects. The CWW is dedicated to promoting contemporary Chinese literature and culture, and it aims to showcase its diverse and rich landscapes. The CWW is launching the CWR and HKWR this spring after the "Distinguished Chinese Writers Series" last September, and it has invited emerging overseas Chinese writers to meet and exchange with their Hong Kong counterparts at HKBU for one month.

The CWR invites two non-local writers to Hong Kong every year. Ms Ho Sok Fong, a Malaysian-Chinese novelist, and Mr Lu Nei, a mainland Chinese novelist, are this year's Chinese Writers-in-Residence. Ms Ho was recognised by renowned writer Mr Ng Kim Chew as "the most mature Malaysian-Chinese female novelist", while Mr Lu has won critical acclaim as "one of the best 70s novelists in China".

The HKWR is the first Writers-in-Residence programme from the Faculty of Arts at HKBU for local writers. Selected writers' works will be translated into English and published in the CWW's bilingual anthology Lion Rock: The Anthology of Contemporary Hong Kong Literature. Mr Keith Liu, the selected Hong Kong Writer-in-Residence this year, is a poet who "reflects on the nature of life from triviality", and he writes with a sense of social concern.

The three writers specialise in different genres and explore various themes. Please refer to their biographies in the attachment. The CWW will host a cross-programme opening event "Writers' Reading and Conversation" on 7 March, where the three writers will read and discuss their works. The CWW also plans to publish a "Chinese Creative Writing Handbook", and it will serve as a reference for teaching Chinese creative writing.

Launched in 2020, the CWW is sponsored by the Tin Ka Ping Foundation. "We are immensely grateful to the Tin Ka Ping Foundation for its generous support. We must also acknowledge the gracious and supportive way in which the Foundation has collaborated with us to define the vision for our CWW. I expect the CWW to play a very significant role in developing the talent of creative writers in Hong Kong, the region, and across the world. I also believe the CWW will encourage young people in Hong Kong to value creative writing, possibly even as an especially meaningful life path," said Professor Mette Hjort, the Dean of Arts at HKBU.

All events of the two programmes will be held online via Zoom and they are free of charge. Further details can be found on the Facebook page of the CWW. For any enquiries, please call 3411 2510 or email artsoc@hkbu.edu.hk. The public are welcome to sign up online (https://bit.ly/3JBkVDZ).

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