Amidst the reshaping of Hong Kong’s social, cultural, political and ideological landscape, how do we reenvisage a city that exists in our memories? For those who have left their hometown―or the place they once called home―the question, “What does it mean to be a Hongkonger?” marks a constant shift between conflicting realities, identities and perceptions. Beyond the act of remembering, how do we reimagine our relationship with Hong Kong in the present and the future? In this collection of prose, poetry and photography by eighteen writers and artists, we see a gathering of reflections on the profound changes and subtle transitions that have transpired in Hong Kong, both in recent times and over the past decades.
Writing has always been a difficult subject to talk about, let alone writing an honest account about how one’s creative process is complicated by global lockdown and personal hardships. In Writing in Difficult Times, eleven young promising writers from Hong Kong wallow in some of their perhaps most confusing and troubling moments in life, and share their struggles. How do writers committed to crafted language maintain a dialogue with themselves? How does the dense urban living space affect creative outputs and thoughts? How do writers reflect on and evaluate gender roles, motherhood, and time? What roles does memory play in writing, if memory’s own language is not allowed to communicate? Each personal essay in this collection is available in both Chinese and English, hoping to build a timely and genuine connection with its readers, regardless of location and cultural background. Each word is a courageous sharing that makes a significant contribution to bilingual Hong Kong literary writ
How do we situate ourselves when we navigate the city of Hong Kong—physically, and in our minds? Against a backdrop of bustling density and movement, the difficulties of making space have shaped our days. From the challenges of limited living space and the quest for personal space, to the everyday negotiations of our identities in the social space, we are constantly confronted with the question: How do we redefine the distance between the city, others, and ourselves, and between the selves within us? This collection features prose, poetry and artwork from writers and artists in or from Hong Kong, as well as those who have had a close connection with the city, that explore the (im)possibility of making space. How do we remake space in our lives and our creative practices? What does this (im)possibility mean in (or in relation to) Hong Kong today?