If any members would like to post their publishing-related news on our website or Facebook page, please contact us.
Did You Read the Small Print?
By Jenny Chang
On May 9, WIPS members (old and newly recruited!) gathered in the offices of leading Hong Kong law firm Oldham, Li & Nie to learn what NOT to do (or rather sign away!) when it comes to publishing contracts and copyright. The firm’s founding partner Gordon Oldham and Head of IP Benjamin Choi had put together a great presentation, and the subsequent discussion could have gone for hours or at least until the generously provided wine and snacks ran out! We got so many important takeaways. We now know that copyright in an original manuscript lasts 50 years after the author’s passing and can be established simply and cheaply via Hongkong Post and a sealed envelope. Book titles are not exclusive to anyone, but for marketing purposes it pays to be original. While winning a literary competition is obviously wonderful, it’s important to remember you’ll be bound by the contest organiser’s terms and conditions which you signed during your initial submission.
A discussion on libel and defamation pitfalls revealed hilariously tall (and maybe even stark-naked!) happenings in one early 20th-century colonial outpost. Unsurprisingly, that story never made it into print even after the protagonist had long departed for gin-soaked appearances on celestial balconies!
By the end of the evening, the first-time and not yet published writers amongst us were reminded that the publisher holds a lot of the contractual power and so we should only work with the reputable players. It really is important to instruct a lawyer on contractual matters, publishing related or otherwise, right from the get-go. If you are Hong Kong based and want practical and impartial advice on some not so fine print, contact Gordon and Benjamin!
WiPS Newsletter: April 2023
Welcome to the Spring edition of the WiPS newsletter! The masks are off, the tourists are back, and Hong Kong is once again the thriving city we all know and love! And we at WiPS couldn’t be happier! With another successful Imprint launch behind us, we’re thrilled to share that our committee is growing, and we’re exploring ways to resume our in-person connections this year while keeping our regular monthly workshops online to engage our overseas members.
New Committee Member: Lesley Hobbs
Lesley has lived and worked in Hong Kong since August 2007. She is the founder/owner of consulting & legal recruitment firm Red Pillar Consulting Limited. She joined WiPS in 2017 and has had pieces published in the three latest issues of Imprint. WiPS members attending the recent FCC-hosted Imprint 21 launch witnessed Lesley channelling her best Gillian Anderson playing Margaret Thatcher! Lesley is at first draft stages of what she hopes will be either her debut fictional memoir or novel.
Upcoming Event: Did You Read the Small Print? Avoiding the pitfalls of publishing contracts
Tuesday, 9 May 2023 (6:30–8:30 p.m.)
WiPS is excited to be joining forces next month with leading Hong Kong law firm Oldham, Li & Nie (OLN Law) to learn how our members can avoid the pitfalls of publishing contracts. Other legal issues important to the writing community such as copyright and IP infringement will also be covered by the speakers. OLN is hosting the event which will take the form of a 45–60-minute presentation followed by Q&A. Wine will be provided. For registration, go to: https://www.hkwips.com/events/.
Upcoming Event: Rare Books
Back by popular demand! WiPS members are invited once again at Lok Man Rare Books for a discussion on the rare books market in Hong Kong and beyond. So, whether you’re a bona fide bibliophile or just like the idea of being surrounded by leather-bound volumes that are a couple of hundred years old, please join us for an evening of books, wine and nibbles at the enchanting hideaway of Lok Man Rare Books in Chancery Lane. Space is limited for this event (planned for June), so look out for details.
Writing Workshop
The writing workshop is back after a one-month break in March, and we’re on fire! Celebrating our one-year anniversary, we were at full capacity and had to start a waiting list for the last session. So, if you’re keen on exploring your creativity in a safe and supportive environment, register now at https://www.hkwips.com/events/. We’re also excited to announce that from now on, regular attendees Lesley Hobbs, Andy Lowe and Gillian Kew will take turns with Rinkoo Ramchandani to facilitate this workshop, allowing Rinkoo to spend more time on her growing business, and helping us keep this popular workshop going in its second year.
Book Club
Our WiPS Book Club also celebrated its first birthday recently! Over the past year we have shared our views on a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction titles, from recent releases to the slightly more “mature” offerings, but, as yet, no “classics”. Our democratic voting process gives everyone the chance for her book choice to be selected. We meet once a month, over Zoom, providing group members in compatible time zones the opportunity to join our friendly sessions. An optional Book Club WhatsApp group enables us to share interesting, book-related stories and information, advice, and tips.
In May we will read The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Would you like to join us? The Book Club is free for WiPS members and HK$80 per session for non-members. To learn more, visit https://www.hkwips.com/events/.
Launch of Imprint 21
March 9 marked a double celebration for WiPS: the anthology had become of age, and as a Society we were finally back together in the FCC after an absence of three years. Drinks in hand, members and guests filled the Hughes Room with energy, laughter and uplifting camaraderie during which the evening’s entertainment was rated “the best ever”. This was thanks to nine talented members (Shikha Bansal, Susan Lavender, Sadie Kaye, Lesley Hobbs, Andy Lowe, Ritu Hemnani, Deborah Mannas, Connie Lee Hamelin and Jennifer Eagleton) who read or recited their Imprint pieces (or excerpts from them), produced a skit on ChatGPT, staged a short play and hosted a challenging literary quiz. It was enjoyable theatre indeed! [https://www.hkwips.com/2023/imprint-comes-of-age-at-the-fcc/]
New Members
A warm welcome to our four new members: Sally Grace Bunker, Rosann Kao, Mei Sum Seto and Purnima Solapurkar.
WiPS on WhatsApp
We’re finally on WhatsApp! Stay tuned for an invite to join our read-only members WhatsApp group, giving you quick access to event announcements, registration links and more!
Mailed copies of Imprint 21
If you were unable to join us at the Imprint launch during the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in March, you should receive your copy of the anthology by the end of April. Please feel free to contact us if it doesn’t arrive.
Imprint 22
We look forward to your submissions with anticipation! The deadline is 30 September 2023 for a planned launch in March 2024. We ask members to kindly to respect the deadline as we cannot guarantee inclusion of late submissions. Please see https://www.hkwips.com/imprint/.
With our best wishes
Your WiPS Committee
Imprint Comes of Age at the FCC
By Julia Besnard
On 9 March, our community came together to celebrate the launch of the 21st issue of Imprint, WiPS’ annual anthology. Held in the gorgeous Hughes Room of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, the evening was part of the Hong Kong Literary Festival. Picture this: a large group of women (and one man!) finally gathered in person after three years of virtual events to celebrate the written word, hear some inspiring read-alouds, enjoy a glass (or two), mingle, and even try their luck at a Lit Quiz. The room was full of energy, laughter, and uplifting camaraderie. Gillian Kew and Rinkoo Ramchandani were our hosts for the evening; they eventually did away with the microphones and opted for the natural energy of their voices to keep us on track with the entertainment of the night.
We were all enthralled by Sadie Kaye’s hilarious reading of “Bake Fail” (an account of her disastrous Covid attempts at baking with her children) and moved by Susan Lavender’s outstanding performance of her poem “Concrete Cloud”, depicting the solitude of modern urban life. We travelled to India and back as Ritu Hemnani read an excerpt from her energetic piece, “Rickshaw”. Deborah Mannas recited “Cry”, an emotional poem about the stoic strength of people with relatives battling mental health problems.
Lesley Hobbs and Andy Lowe made us laugh and think with their performance of a skit about the absurd contradictions of ChatGPT and what it means for contemporary literature.
We were captivated by “Positive!”, a piece by Connie Lee Hamelin about the complex logistical and administrative realities of a Covid-stricken family in Hong Kong, which was adapted as a short play in a dynamic duo with Susan Lavender. The challenging years of Covid restrictions that have only just been lifted have undoubtedly left a mark among us all. However, Shiksha Bansal’s reading of her piece, “The Spirit of Hong Kong”, was a poignant reminder of the unique beauty of the city we call home.
Jennifer Eagleton’s challenging literary quiz had us searching our minds for memories of the classics we once read. The three English teachers who teamed up and won the grand prize together – nothing less than a bottle of Peninsula Champagne! – showed us how literature and community are intricately connected.
None of this would have been possible without the tremendous work of Carol Dyer, the editor of Imprint, who supported all the contributors throughout the year leading to the publication of the book.
WiPS Newsletter: January 2023
Dear Members!
Happy New Year of the Water Rabbit to all our WiPS Members, and welcome to our first newsletter of 2023. We hope you will enjoy reading it and will be encouraged to join in our upcoming events and activities. If you have any comments or ideas, do let us know – we love to hear from you and look forward to meeting you all, online and in-person, in the following months!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Save the date: Launch of Imprint 21!
We’re excited to announce that we will launch Imprint 21 as a part of the Hong Kong Literary Festival, which takes place from 6-12 March 2023. Imprint 21 will be launched on Thursday, 9 March 2023 at the FCC. Please save the date in your diary. Details to follow.
Book Club
Each month we read the book previously chosen by our group members and then discuss it on our scheduled “Book Club” afternoon, a friendly session lasting around an hour. Whether we love, hate, or are just, “meh” about the book, our discussions are lively, interesting, and fun. This year we hope to hold more author events as we continue our exploration of the literary genres. The book club is free for WiPS Members and HK$80 for guests – a bargain!
Writing Workshop
The writing workshop sails into 2023 with a committed group of regular participants. After running it for nine months, it was mutual that the current format is working well, though we’re exploring enhancements such as adopting themes and permitting the occasional submission of longer pieces. We meet over Zoom on the first Friday of each month and spend anywhere from two to three hours sharing feedback, debating plots and yes, reminding speakers to unmute their lines. We review all genres except poetry, so if you’re interested in a trial session, do join us by registering through our website. The next workshop takes place on 3 February 2023 at 3pm Hong Kong time.
PAST EVENTS
WiPS Members Socialise in Style
After many long months of Zoom meetings and solitary evenings, WiPS was finally able to offer our members a chance to gather, in person, for a casual evening of drinks and snacks at the Dada Lounge in Tsim Sha Tsui. Although we were a small group, Dada did not disappoint! Their extended happy hour meant that we all enjoyed two-for-one drinks until 9pm, along with lively, interesting conversation, anecdotes, and laughter. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), the Dada deep fat fryer was out of commission, so food choices were limited. But we thoroughly enjoyed their excellent pizza and prawn and feta crispy treats!
As the evening wore on, our wide ranging discussions included books (of course), the British Royal Family, Art courses, and ideas for future WiPS events. Our upcoming Imprint launch created quite a buzz! It was a lovely evening of new and renewed friendships, and everyone agreed that we should do it again!
Author Event: Bibliotherapy with Ella Berthoud
On 22 November 2022, a group of avid readers joined our author event: An Introduction to Bibliotherapy by Ella Berthoud, author of The Novel Cure, amongst other titles. Ella and WiPS member, Bhakti Mathur, a newly minted bibliotherapist herself, shared a history of the ancient discipline, “prescriptions” for common ailments, and answered our many questions. Two of the attendees commented:
“REALLY enjoyed that session! Well-led and facilitated!” – Penny Van Niel (non-member)
“The conversation between Ella and Bhakti was illuminating…Indeed, there are people who find themselves at a loss when it comes to choosing a read to fit in their lives at a particular point. Congratulations on the vast knowledge of a variety of books…!” – Luisa Ternau (WiPS member).
Book Club & Writing Workshop Yacht Club Dinner
After meeting virtually for eight months, participants of the book club and writing workshop finally came together for a dinner at the Hong Kong Yacht Club on 9 November 2022. Although many of us were meeting in person for the first time, it was an evening of lovely conversation with new friends who already felt familiar. After trading books, backgrounds and confessions of a sweet tooth, the group agreed to turn this into an annual celebration of the two groups. Thanks to Lesley Hobbs for facilitating the event and being such a gracious host. Next dinner: November 2023!
Additional Benefits of Being Our Member
We’re happy to announce a new benefit we’re offering our members in 2023: we will help promote your products on our social media sites so long as they’re publishing-related and meet our criteria. So, whether you’re offering a writing course, poetry workshop or promoting a new book, let us know and we can share your post across all our platforms. Enquire with wipshk@gmail.com for further details.
Membership Renewal
For our members who have yet to renew, now is the time! We have an exciting year planned for you with the launch of Imprint 21, author events, workshops, book club and more, including “members only” events. We understand that life sometimes gets in the way, so we have extended the deadline for renewal until 31 January 2023. So, if you just haven’t had a chance to renew your WiPS membership yet, please do so now.
Personalise Your WiPS Directory Entry
A picture is worth a thousand words. If you haven’t added your photo to the WiPS directory, you can do so now by logging into your account. It’s as easy as saying “cheese”!
With our best wishes
Your WiPS Committee
WiPS Members Socialise in Style
After many long months of Zoom meetings and solitary evenings, WiPS was finally able to offer our members a chance to gather, in person, for a casual evening of drinks and snacks at the Dada Lounge in Tsim Sha Tsui. Although we were a small group, Dada did not disappoint! Their extended happy hour meant that we all enjoyed two-for-one drinks until 9pm, along with lively, interesting conversation, anecdotes, and laughter. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), the Dada deep fat fryer was out of commission, so food choices were limited. But we thoroughly enjoyed their excellent pizza and prawn and feta crispy treats!
As the evening wore on, our wide ranging discussions included books (of course), the British Royal Family, Art courses, and ideas for future WiPS events. Our upcoming Imprint launch created quite a buzz! It was a lovely evening of new and renewed friendships, and everyone agreed that we should do it again!
The Transformative Power of Fiction
By Andy Lowe
Fiction can be a powerful healer, and on 22 November 2022 twenty members and friends of WiPS joined an interview with our international guest, bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud who co-authored The Novel Cure, and moderator, Bhakti Mathur, to learn what bibliotherapy is and how fiction can help us cure life’s ailments.
Neuroscientists suggest that reading for six minutes a day is as beneficial as one hour of meditation. During reading our heart rate stills and our brain waves change and, in short, we de-stress. By implication then, bibliotherapy can play an important role in mental health. We heard fascinating examples of this, such as the WW2 doctors who recommended Jane Austin to soldiers suffering from shellshock. Since good, well-written, fiction can be immersive it offers its reader an opportunity for catharsis, reflection, perspective-taking, or escape – all of which can be healing.
Bibliotherapists work to understand their client’s reading preferences and life circumstances then write “prescriptions” recommending three of four specific books for them to read. Prescriptions are dependent on the unique needs, tastes and preferred choices of each client, and writing them is an evolving, artful and intuitive process. Having said that, three common ailments that Ella encounters and her related recommended reads are: Motherhood (becoming a mother for the first time): The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt; Retirement: The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul; and Bereavement: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Ella finished her talk by offering recommendations on how to increase reading, which included listening to audio books (while multi-tasking); creating a “reading nook”; reading aloud with someone you live with (i.e. adult to adult); creating a reading-aloud reading group; and joining a book club. Although bibliotherapy sessions are typically one-on-one, Ella advised that group sessions are also gaining in popularity in social services settings.