For literature lovers out there who want to engage with literary texts in even more depth, here’s some fantastic news — Award-winning Hong Kong poet Nicholas Wong has recently launched an online literary platform Writing-Plus.

The website is filled with free learning materials designed by acclaimed poets, writers, and translators on their own works. They include selected excerpts, writing prompts, and discussion questions. There is a section on contemporary Hong Kong poetry, including works like “Metro Public Bodies” and “Postcolonial Zoology”.

Nicholas Wong is the first Hong Kong poet to win the prestigious Lambda Literary Awards. He also teaches at the Education University of Hong Kong. The original plan, he explained, was to invite writers from abroad to teach at the school. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, he decided to establish an online platform instead.

Funded by the university, the platform is designed primarily for local classrooms. Wong observed that many local students still feel intimidated by English literature, and wanted to promote the subject through “authentic texts” —  writings connected to Hong Kong in some way or another. 

The platform also features freely downloadable content by Hong Kong-born poet Jennifer Wong, translator Jennifer Feeley — who translated many works by iconic Hong Kong writer Xi Xi — and New York writer Q.M. Zhang, who has lived in China and Hong Kong. 

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