About this Event
Title: A Hong Kong Memoir of Triumph Against the Odds
Speaker(s): Sonia Leung
Moderator: TBC
Event details
Date: 9 March (Saturday)
Time: 10:30am - 11:30am
Venue: Fringe Jockey Club
Price: $198
Language: English
Format: Talk
Category: Life Journey
Speaker Biography:
Sonia Leung, a Hong Kong-based poet and writer, is the author of Don’t Cry, Phoenix (2020), a bilingual poetry collection, and The Girl Who Dreamed: A Hong Kong Memoir of Triumph Against the Odds (2024). Her awards include Wordview 2023 (poetry) and Hong Kong’s Top Story 2015 and 2016.
Event Description:
Sonia Leung’s The Girl Who Dreamed: A Hong Kong Memoir of Triumph Against the Odds is an uncompromising account of resilience and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. In a narrative rich with allusions to the classics of Chinese literature, Leung details how her dream of self-actualisation in Hong Kong was brutally unraveled by those she trusted, shortly after rejoining her family from the Mainland in a slum in Diamond Hill. The book marks a watershed moment in memoir-writing in Hong Kong literature. Never before have the firsthand experiences of impoverished Mainland immigrants arriving in Hong Kong in the 1980s been so carefully narrated from a young woman’s perspective. Her story of brutal violence experienced at the hands of local and expat men in Hong Kong is likely one that rings true for many women who have migrated to Hong Kong. In a remarkable display of fortitude and authorial conviction, Leung repeatedly demonstrates how hope and conviction can be found in reading and writing, even when pain becomes too suffocating to endure or even acknowledge.
*Please note that photos and videos of participants may be taken during the activities, which may be used by the organiser and the major sponsor for educational and promotional purposes in any way deemed appropriate, including dissemination through printed and online channels. Participation in the programme will constitute the participants’ consent to the above arrangement.
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ABOUT HKILF
The Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) inspires the joy of reading by bringing the world’s writers and stories to Hong Kong’s diverse communities. A dynamic year-round programme and an annual festival offer dialogue, entertainment, and perspective, while the Young Readers Festival (YRF) motivates students to engage with all aspects of the written word, improving communication skills while nurturing the art of writing and storytelling.
The annual festival features established and emerging writers from around the world, alongside local literary talents, in a programme that includes panel discussions, book talks, readings, workshops, walks, school programmes, performances, and more.
To find more, please visit our official website: https://www.festival.org.hk/
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Jockey Club Studio Theatre, The Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
HKD 198.00