International Writers’ Workshop
International Writers’ Workshop
The International Writers’ Workshop (IWW) at HKBU
is a self-funded, non-profit programme supported primarily by donations.
Its goal is to invite writers from around the world to visit HKBU and
engage in creativity-inspiring activities with local students, writers,
and the general Hong Kong community.
Yann Martel | Canada
Novelist
Ana Merino | Spain
Fiction writer, poet and scholar
Azam Abidov | Uzbekistan
Poet, translator and short story writer
Gabriel Awuah Mainoo | Ghana
Poet
Ronnie Scott | Australia
Fiction writer
Yasuhiro Yotsumoto | Japan
Poet, essayist, and translator
Yan Ge | China
Fiction Writer
Violet Kupersmith | US
Fiction Writer
Simon Armitage | Britain
Poet
Catalina Lobo-Guerrero | Colombia
Journalist
Matilde Søes Rasmussen | Denmark
Writer and artist
Marta Dzido | Poland
Writer and filmmaker
Glenn Diaz | Philippines
Fiction writer
Andy Brown | United Kingdom
Poet
Colin Herd | United Kingdom
Poet
Yoko Tawada | Japan
Fiction writer
Gili Haimovich | Israel
Poet and translator
Gabriel Payares | Venezuela
Fiction writer
Vladimir Poleganov | Bulgaria
Fiction Writer, translator and screenwriter
Cristina Sánchez-Andrade | Spain
Fiction writer
Anna Tolkacheva | Russia
Media-artist, researcher and poet
Helen Oyeyemi | Britain
Fiction writer
Bonny Cassidy | Australia
Poet and essayist
Gabriel Payares | Venezuela
Fiction writer
Andra Rotaru | Romania
Poet
Cristina Sánchez-Andrade | Spain
Fiction writer
Anna Tolkacheva | Russia
Media-artist, researcher and poet
Anna Weidenholzer | Austria
Fiction writer
Nam Le | Australian
Fiction writer
Mara Genschel | Germany
Poet and artist
Han Yujoo | South Korea
Fiction writer
Sarah Lippett | Britain
Graphic novelist and artist
Nikola Madzirov | Macedonia
Poet, essayist and translator
Barnali Ray Shukla | India
Poet, writer and filmmaker
Kyoko Yoshida | Japan
Fiction writer and translator
Tyehimba Jess | USA
Poet
Ma Jian | China
Fiction Writer
Eddin Khoo | Malaysia
Poet, Translator, Journalist and Musician [Visit Cancel]
Ko Ko Thett | Myanmar
Poet, Poetry Editor and Translator
Nguyen Bao Chan | Vietnam
Poet and Television Editor
Lo Chih Cheng | Taiwan
Poet, Writer, Cultural Critic, and Media Worker
Yu Xiang | China
Poet and Visual Artist
Li Zishu | Malaysia
Fiction writer
Asma Nadia | Indonesia
Novelist and nonfiction writer
Minna Salami | Nigerian-Finnish
Non-fiction writer
Brian Kim Stefans | USA
Poet (Electronic Literature)
Müesser Yeníay | Turkey
Poet
King Ban Hui | Malaysia
Writer and Painter
Lin Bai | China
Novelist
Shih Shu Ching | Taiwan
Novelist
Bidisha | Britain
Fiction writer, Non-fiction writer, Journalist
Alecia McKenzie | Jamaica
Writer, Artist
Mariko Nagai | Japan
Poet, Fiction writer, Translator, Photographer
Oumar Farouk Sesay | Sierra Leone
Poet, Playwright
Badai | Puyuma Tribe, Taiwan
Fiction writer, Literary historian
Li Ang | Taiwan
Fiction Writer
Menna Elfyn | Wales, United Kingdom
Poet, Playwright [Visit Cancelled]
Khet Mar | Myanmar
Essayist, Short story writer
Philip Ó Ceallaigh | Ireland
Short story writer
Ricardo de Ungria | Philippines
Poet
Chung Wen Yin | Taiwan
Fiction writer, Photographer
Jing Ge | China
Fiction writer, Chinese calligrapher
Bi Feiyu | China
Fiction writer
Maxine Case | South Africa
Fiction writer
Marjorie Evasco | Philippines
Poet
Petri Karra | Finland
Fiction writer, Screenwriter
Aleksandr Skidan [Visit Cancel] | Russia
Poet, Critic, Editor, Translator
Sonya Sones | USA
Poet, Fiction writer
Gan Yao Ming | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Zhaxi Dawa [Visit Cancel] | Tibet, China
Fiction writer, Playwright
Su Wei-chen | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Ajit Baral | Nepal
Fiction Writer, Editior
Meena Kandasamy | India
Poet, Writer, Activist and Translator
Nguyen Phan Que Mai | Vietnam
Poet
Pilar Quintana | Colombia
Fiction writer
Bina Shah | Pakistan
Fiction writer, Journalist
Holly Thompson | USA / Japan
Fiction writer
Egoyan Zheng | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Ouyang Jianhe | China
Poet, Music/Literary critic
Yan Lianke | China
Fiction writer
Brit Bildoen | Norway
Poet, Fiction writer, Children book writer, Editor
Hans Christoph Buch | Germany
Fiction writer, Literary critic and Journalist
Mathilde Walter Clark | Denmark
Fiction writer, Columnist and Editor
Alan Cherchesov | Russia
Fiction writer
Erich Wolfgang Skawra | Austria
Poet, Fiction writer and Translator
Merja Virolainen | Finland
Poet and translator
John Sheng Kuo | Taiwan
Fiction writer, Playwright
Zhai Yongming | China
Poet [Visit Cancel]
Lo Yi-chin | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Elisa Biagini | Italy
Poet, Translator
Khaled Khalifa | Syria
Fiction writer, Screenwriter
Xavier Moret | Spain
Fiction writer, Journalist and Travel writer
Mahir Oztas | Turkey
Poet, Fiction writer, Essayist
Amina Zaydan | Egypt
Fiction writer, Editor
Mabrouck Rachedi | France
Fiction writer, Essayist
Chen Xue | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Xi Chuan | China
Poet, Editor, Translator
Zhang Wei | China
Fiction writer
Gary SNYDER [Featured Writer] | USA
Poet, Author, Scholar and Cultural Critic
Janet CHARMAN | New Zealan
Poet
KIM Young-ha | South Korea
Fiction writer
Wena POON | Singapore
Poet and fiction writer
Atsushi SHIITADA | Okinawa, Japan
Poet, critic and journalist
Miguel SYJUCO | Philippines
Fiction Writer
Kirby WRIGHT | Hawaii, USA
Poet and fiction writer
CHEN Li | Taiwan
Poet, prose writer and translator
BI Feiyu | China
Fiction Writer
Hwang Chung-ming | Taiwan
Fiction writer
István GEHER | Hungary
Poet and translator
Ina GRIGOROVA | Bulgaria
Poet, fiction writer and playwright
Arian LEKA | Albania
Poet and prose writer
Iulian TANASE | Romania
Poet, photographer, sometimes painter
Marjan STROJAN | Slovenia
Poet and translator
Olga TOKARCZUK | Poland
Fiction writer
Olga WALLÓ | Czech Republic
Poet, fiction writer, translator and director
CHEN Yu-hui | Taiwan
Fiction writer, playwright and director
XU Xiaobin | China
Writer and CCTV sensor screenwriter
Han Shaogong | China
Fiction writer
Adam AITKEN | Australia
Poet
Anastassis VISTONITIS | Greece
Poet, essayist and journalist
Margaret GILL | The Barbados
Poet, short story writer
Marzanna KIELAR | Poland
Poet
Nukila AMAL | Indonesia
Fiction writer, essayist and translator
Shay FENNELLY | Ireland
Writer, photographer
Van Cam HAI | Vietnam
Fiction writer, prose writer and journalist
LIAO Hung Chi | Taiwan
Fiction writer, prose writer
DENG Gang | China
Fiction writer
Ya Hsien | Taiwan
Poet
Funso AIYEJINA | Nigeria
Poet, short story writer and playwright
Marion BETHEL | Bahamas
Poet, short story writer and playwright
Rita Ann HIGGINS | Ireland
Poet and playwright
Tim MCNULTY | USA
Poet and nature writer
Mike O’CONNOR | USA
Poet, translator of Chinese poetry
Vivienne PLUMB | New Zealand
Poet, fiction writer and playwright
LIU Ka-Shiang | Taiwan
Poet, nature writer and fiction writer
CHI Zijian | China
Fiction writer
LI Rui | China
Fiction writer
Ahmed ALAIDY | Egypt
Fiction writer
Hassan DAOUD | Lebanon
Fiction writer and journalist
Dunya MIKHAIL | Iraq
Poet
Taghreed NAJJAR | Jordan
Children literature writer
Mahmoud SHUKAIR | Palestinian/Jerusalem
Fiction writer and children literature writer
Sitok SRENGENGE | Indonesia
Indonesia
Ghassan ZAQTAN | Palestine
Poet
LAN Po-chou | Taiwan
Fiction writer and literary reportage specialist
CAO Naiqian | China
Fiction writer
Li Yu | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Darryl ACCONE | South Africa
Fiction writer, editor and independent scholar
Amma DARKO | Ghana
Fiction writer
Cynthia JAMES | Trinidad of Caribbean Sea
Poet, fiction writer and independent scholar
Lasana SEKOU | St. Martin of Caribbean Sea
Poet, fiction writer, essayist and publisher
Tabish KHAIR | India
Poet, essayist and scholar
Sukrita Paul KUMAR | India
Poet
LI Zishu | Malaysia
Fiction writer and prose writer
LO Yi-chin | Taiwan
Fiction writer
JIANG Yun | China
Fiction writer and prose writer
CHEN Yin-chen | Taiwan
Fiction writer
Yann Martel | Canada
Novelist
Ana Merino | Spain
Fiction writer, poet and scholar
Azam Abidov | Uzbekistan
Poet, translator and short story writer
Gabriel Awuah Mainoo | Ghana
Poet
Ronnie Scott | Australia
Fiction writer
Founded in 2004, the International Writers’ Workshop (IWW) at HKBU is a self-funded, non-profit programme supported solely by donations. Its goal is to invite writers from around the world to visit HKBU to engage in creativity-inspiring activities with local students, writers, and the general Hong Kong community, providing opportunities for cultural exchange within and outside the university campus. IWW has invited over one hundred and thirty writers from fifty-five countries to Hong Kong. They stay on campus and interact with university students and staff, as well as with Hong Kong writers and the public. The establishment of the International Writers’ Workshop may be regarded as an important and historically significant initiative to promote cultural and educational activities in Hong Kong.
New! Click here to view the IWW Fact Sheet
Mission
The objectives of IWW are threefold:
• at the university level, to encourage creative writing and engage students in literary discussion;
• at the local level, to enrich the cultural life of Hong Kong people; and
• at the international level, to inspire literary creativity of writers from around the globe through exposing them to Hong Kong life and culture.
* * *
In 2018, IWW launched three new programmes: the Distinguished Writers Series, the newly-designed Writers-in-Residence Programme, and the IWW Literary Festival.
Distinguished Writers Series
Each fall, we invite a prominent, award-winning international writer to visit HKBU for a Literary Reading, Conversation, and a Masterclass. Past writers we have had the honour to host include:
2023 – Mr. Yasuhiro Yotsumoto
2022 – Mr. Simon Armitage
2021 – Ms. Yoko Tawada
2020 – Ms. Helen Oyeyemi
2019 – Mr. Nam Le
2018 – Mr. Tyehimba Jess
Writers-in-Residence Programme
Each spring, a group of international writers are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and invited to stay on campus for four weeks.
IWW Literary Festival
At the culmination of the Writers-in-Residence Programme, we host the annual IWW Literary Festival, which is a series of literary events based on a specific theme. The events range from literary readings and panel discussions to film screenings and creative writing workshops. Speakers and panelists include our Writers-in-Residence and other local scholars and writers. Previous IWW Literary Festival themes include:
2024 – Origins and Futures
2023 – Turbulence · Tranquility · Transdisciplinary Writing
2022 – Writing and Well-being
2021 – Humanity and the Planet
2019 – The Many Worlds of Science Fiction
* * *
Former IWW Programmes
Our previous annual events were the Writer-in-Residence Programme and the Visiting Writers Programme. The writers we invited for the Writer-in-Residence Programme included:
2018 – Mr. Ma Jian
2017 – Ms. Li Zishu
2016 – Ms. Shih Shu-ching
2015 – Ms. Li Ang
2014 – Mr. Bi Feiyu
2013 – Ms. Su Wei-chen
2012 – Mr. Yan Lianke
2011 – Mr. Lo Yi-chin
2010 – Mr. Zhang Wei
2009 – Mr. Hwang Chun-ming
2008 – Mr. Han Shaogong
2007 – Mr. Ya Hsien
2006 – Mr. Li Rui
2005 – Ms. Li Yu
2004 – Mr. Chen Yingzhen
The former Visiting Writers Programme entailed inviting and hosting a group of esteemed international writers at Hong Kong Baptist University for a month each fall. The group included foreign writers and Chinese-language writers. A theme was set for the programme every year:
2017 – Mixing & Making
2016 – The Written World
2015 – Words and Other Interventions
2014 – The Magical Reality of Writing
2013 – Passages through Time: Endings and Beginnings
2012 – Writing the Metropolis
2011 – Writers from Northern and Central Europe
2010 – Writers from the Mediterranean
2009 – Writers from the Pacific Rim
2008 – Writers from Eastern Europe
2007 – Writing the Sea and the Waterfront
2006 – One with Mother-Nature
2005 – Understanding the Islamic World and Its Writers
2004 – Writers from Post-colonial English-speaking Countries
Steering Committee (2023/24)
Prof. Stuart CHRISTIE, Director of International Writers’ Workshop; Executive Associate Dean of Arts, HKBU
Mr. James SHEA, Associate Director of International Writers’ Workshop; Department of Humanities and Creative Writing
Dr. CHOW-QUESADA Emily Shun-man, Department of English Language and Literature
Dr. Jason POLLEY, Department of English Language and Literature
Dr. Johnathan HARRINGTON, Department of English Language and Literature
Dr. Patrick HOLLAND, Department of Humanities and Creative Writing
Prof. LO Kwai Cheung, Department of Humanities and Creative Writing
Dr. Janice PAN, Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
Prof. CHEN Li, Department of Computer Science
Board of Advisors
Ms. Polly HO, Kubrick Poetry Society
Mr. David McKIRDY, Poetry OutLoud
Ms. Elizabeth TURAI-KISS, Renaissance College Hong Kong
Ms. Eva WONG Yi, Fleurs des Lettres
Board of Honorary Advisors
Prof. Kamau BRATHWAITE (Barbados, Caribbean Sea) (Deceased), Poet; Playwright
Prof. CHUNG Ling (Hong Kong / Taiwan), Poet; Short story writer; Founder and former Director of the IWW, HKBU
Prof. Howard GOLDBLATT (USA), Translator; Sinologist
Mr. HWANG Chun-ming (Taiwan), Novelist
Prof Göran MALMQVIST (Sweden) (Deceased), Translator; Writer; Sinologist; Member of the Nobel Committee, The Royal Swedish Academy
Prof. Christopher MERRILL (USA), Poet; Director of the International Writing Program, The University of Iowa
Prof. NIEH Hua-ling (USA), Novelist; Founder and former Director of the International Writing Program, The University of Iowa
Mr. PAI Hsien-yung (USA / Taiwan), Novelist
Prof. Gary SNYDER (USA), Poet; winner of Pulitzer Prize and Lannan Award
Dr. Chris SONG (HK), Poet
Prof. William TAY (Taiwan / Hong Kong), Translator; President of INK: A Literary Monthly
Ms. ZHENG Min (China), Poet