Imagination of Cityscape: A Study on Post-1997 Hong Kong Young Writers

Hong Kong cityscape and the city itself have been gradually changed and transformed since the handover in 1997. A group of writers who started to publish their first book after 1997, namely the "post-1997 Hong Kong young writers", have grown up in the city since they were born. They have witnessed and experienced the changes. Their works can reflect how they feel and think towards the city. Yet, studies of this group of writers are still in its infancy. A closer look and a comprehensive study should be carried out in order to understand their structure of feelings – is it different from what is shown in the works of writers from older generation? There are three main objectives for this project. Firstly, it aims to provide a detailed analysis of how "post-1997 Hong Kong young writers" imagine the city by looking into their fiction. As much related researches are concerned with individual writers, this research intends to fill in the gap by examining their works comprehensively. Secondly, this research will analyze their structure of feelings by using the theories of space and place. It also gives voice to the writers' unique experiences and current feelings towards the city by conducting interviews. Thirdly, this project aims to provide a thorough study on this group of writers for future use, either in the writings of Hong Kong literary history or in generating more critical studies on these writers. It will also examine the possibility of using this similar framework to analyze prose and poetry. In short, upon completion of this project, we will arrive at a better understanding of (1) how the "post-1997 Hong Kong young writers" imagine the city; (2) their structure of feelings and whether it is different from writers of the older generation; and (3) how their fiction represents urban space and body space.

Funding Source: RGC - Theme-based Projects