Hong Kong Lit Club
Hong Kong Lit Club
Podcast Description
While the city is often portrayed as a busy financial hub where nobody has time to read, the reality is that people do read - and they write, too. Discover the work of both past and contemporary authors, and dive into the the literary heritage of Hong Kong that often gets overlooked. Each episode will feature three parts: a read-aloud ("Words Unfold"), either by your host, Julia, or by guest authors reading their own pieces, a discussion section to delve deeper into the meaning of the text ("Deep Dive"), and a short language section focussing on a Cantonese word or phrase ("Local Lingo"). Ultimately, this podcast is a celebration of Hong Kong's literary landscape and an invitation for listeners to embark on a literary journey that transcends borders.Learn more here.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focused on the literary heritage of Hong Kong, the podcast explores themes of identity, cultural reflection, and intergenerational relationships with episodes that feature contemporary works, discussions on the impact of technology on storytelling, and explorations of local language.
While the city is often portrayed as a busy financial hub where nobody has time to read, the reality is that people do read – and they write, too. Discover the work of both past and contemporary authors, and dive into the the literary heritage of Hong Kong that often gets overlooked. Each episode will feature three parts: a read-aloud (“Words Unfold”), either by your host, Julia, or by guest authors reading their own pieces, a discussion section to delve deeper into the meaning of the text (“Deep Dive”), and a short language section focussing on a Cantonese word or phrase (“Local Lingo”).
Ultimately, this podcast is a celebration of Hong Kong’s literary landscape and an invitation for listeners to embark on a literary journey that transcends borders.
Learn more here.
When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin follows Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, 1941. Not generals, not politicians, but women fighting to reunite while the world collapses around them. This novels shows the quiet heroism of everyday people. This books tells the stories that History books do not. This book matters.
Emma launched this novel at Bookazine Social in November 2025. I was deeply honoured when she invited me to host.
I recorded the night—you will hear Emma answering my questions with wit and charm, the audience discovering something beautiful, and the kind of conversation that happens when people actually feel a book.
This is that episode. Enjoy, and don’t forget to listen to Part 2, where Emma talks even further about her writing process and reads the opening chapter of When Sleeping Women Wake.
Guest: Emma Pei Yin – Find on her Website | Instagram
About her: Emma Pei Yin is an Australian-Chinese writer and editor. Her debut novel, When Sleeping Women Wake, has been published globally, translated into multiple languages, and awarded many prizes.
She is the founder of yinfluence editorial, and also co-hosts Served With Rice Poddy
Host: Julia Besnard
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