Message from the Committee
It’s already April and spring has sprung in Hong Kong! If you’re dizzy from March Madness, here’s your chance to slow down and soak in the sun’s gentle rays or some spring showers before the season makes way for the city’s infamous humidity.

WiPS has much to offer as it continues to celebrate the launch of Imprint with an e-version and a new bookstore stockist, takes an informed and convivial look at the world of rare books, holds two innovative writing workshops aimed at assisting both young and migrant writers, and presents its own Writing Workshops and Book Club.

Imprint 23 at eslite
We’re excited to announce that for the first time, Imprint is available at eslite bookstore’s four locations: Causeway Bay, Kowloon Tong, Taikoo Shing and Tsimshatsui. It joins Bookazine as one of our major outlets.

Keep in Touch
Please add our email address (wipshk@gmail.com) to your contact list to ensure you get all notifications from us.

As we’re ready to launch the e-version of Imprint 23, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for details and for other WiPS news and conversations. Remember to share with your own networks. Help enliven our community!
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WiPS Book Club
[co-ordinator: Gillian Kew]

After a highly successful March meeting (reviewed below), we now move on to our next three Book Club outings.

  • Orbital by Samantha Harvey, on Monday, 28 April at 7pm.
  • Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi on Saturday, 7 June t 11am.
  • Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim on Monday, 25 August at 7pm.

Special Announcement: We are delighted to inform you that Alka aJoshi will be our Guest Author on 6 June and will discuss Six Days in Bombay with Guest Moderator Ritu Hemnami, who knows the author well and has interviewed her recently.

Important Notice: In addition to the change of date and time for our Six Days in Bombay meeting, necessitated by the US/HK time difference and Ms Joshi’s busy schedule, we are also changing the regular Book Club sessions in response to requests from members who cannot make the Monday evening slot. Moving forward, we will alternate between Monday evening and Thursday evening to afford more of our members the opportunity to take part.

Lok Man Rare Books event
WiPS has secured an exclusive talk with Lok Man Rare Books owner Lorence Johnston about his antiquarian books business. Attendees can look forward to a glass of Champagne and fascinating insights while relaxing in the exquisite setting of the Pedder Arcade on 23 April 2025, 6pm.

Writing to Heal
WiPS is enthusiastic about collaborating for the first time with the Migrant Writers of Hong Kong in a “Writing to Heal” workshop. Committee Member Rinkoo Ramchandani will lead participants in this 90-minute class on writing to release fears, anxiety and the stresses of the day. Taking place at the Africa Centre on 27 April 2025, the workshop will be open to all migrant writers.

Young Writers Workshop
We are equally pleased to announce a new initiative designed to nurture the talents of the younger writers among us. Our first Young Writers Workshop for 13–17-year-olds will be trialled in May. If you know of any budding young writers who might like to join, look out for more information coming soon!

Past Events
Our event of the year, the launch of yet another fabulous issue of Imprint, took place on 5 March at the FCC as a part of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Members and guests mingled and enjoyed wine and canapés between readings, a pub quiz and a lucky draw!

And as busy as the festival was for our members, we still continued our usual Writing Workshop and Book Club in March. Those of you who missed the lovely Maureen Tai interviewing Asako Yuzuki at the festival were treated to a mini-reprisal at the Book Club on 31 March as Maureen talked about her experience and her take on the ever-popular book, Butter (Guest Moderator, Jennifer Eagleton).

Member Spotlight: Bhakti Mathur
The latest in Bhakti Mathur’s series of children’s books “Amma Take Me”, which introduces children to places of historical interest and different faiths in India, has grown the series to six books with “Amma Take Me To The Hill Forts of Rajasthan”, published in December 2024 by Penguin Random House India. Bhakti now has a total of 20 published books.

If you have had a new book released or you just want to introduce your literary accolades to our members, you can submit a short bio of 150 words to us for publication in future newsletters. Please contact wipshk@gmail.com to submit your bio.

New Members
Since our last newsletter, eight new members have joined us: Raquel Carvalho, Grace Chan, Lani Chan, Sophia Hotung, Page Richards, Malisa Santigul, Sarah Van Ingelgom and Jennifer Wong.

Lani Chan
Lani is a young writer, who writes primarily fantasy and horror stories. She is currently in the process of writing her first novel, a fantasy about a girl who is destined to save a society of supernatural people called the Fysiká. Aside from writing and reading, she enjoys learning new languages, true crime stories and playing on the school ball hockey team.

Sophia Hotung
Sophia is a Eurasian writer, illustrator, and disability advocate, best known for creating The Hong Konger art collection and books, as well as various fiction and non-fiction centred on Hong Kong. Sophia is currently focused on writing literary fiction and likes to borrow from thriller, horror and mystery genres.

Malisa Santigul
Malisa is the author of The Door to the Moon, publishes short fiction and poetry on Substack, and is writing a literary speculative novel. With a background in communications, she has shaped narratives in fintech, blockchain, education and F&B. She also enjoys collaborating on creative and publishing projects.

Sarah Van Ingelgom
Sarah founded Blue Lotus Gallery in 2007 to support local talent. Now focused on photography, the gallery highlights Hong Kong’s culture through exhibitions and books. Its publishing arm, Blue Lotus Editions, preserves Hong Kong’s heritage, capturing its evolving landscapes and identity, leaving a lasting legacy through visual storytelling.