In the last few years, the lack of gender diversity has been at the forefront of every conversation all over the world and the literary world is no exception. Despite the diversity and breadth of female authors, women’s voices in literature continue to be under-represented in publishing, bestseller lists and literary awards. Biases in the ways men and women’s subjects and themes are perceived continue to hinder the recognition of female authors.

In 2015, American author Catherine Nichols described her experience of having her first novel universally rejected by publishers, but was met with a very different result when she submitted it under a male pseudonym.

Hong Kong has its own trove of female literary talent. Eunice Lam (1943-2018), who passed away this May at the age of 75. A prolific writer, Lam penned more than 80 books, including Crazy, The Burial of Youth and Fate, and regular columns for major newspapers Ming Pao and Apple Daily.

The Shanghai-born Eileen Chang (1920-1995) continues to have a cult following in both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking worlds more than two decades after her death. Chang has a special connection to Hong Kong, having studied at the University of Hong Kong and stayed in the city intermittently. It was in Hong Kong that she wrote her first English-language novel, The Rice Sprout Song and the city was frequently featured in Chang’s work, including Lust, Caution, The Book of Change and Little Reunions.

Like Chan, Han Suyin (1916-2012) – the pen name of Rosalie Matilda Kuang-hu Chou, also known as Elizabeth Comber – was also inspired by her brief stint in Hong Kong. Her best-selling semi-autobiographical novel, A Many-Splendoured Thing, was based on her love affair with a married Australian war correspondent in the city, and later adapted into the award-winning movie Love Is a Many-Splendoured Thing.

Today, Hong Kong women writers, such as Hon Lai-chu, Dorothy Tse, Wong Bik-wan, and Xu Xi, continue to make marks in the literary world. Last month, poet Xi Xi won the 2019 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature – the third female prize laureate and the first from Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong International Literary Festival, which opened last weekend, features not only a strong female line-up, but also bold themes ranging from feminism and LGBTQ+ to inclusivity in the arts and the #MeToo movement. We welcome these hard hitting topics and the many celebrated women authors contributing to the discussion: Leta Hong Fincher, Intan Paramaditha, Jenny Zhang, and many more.

One of TWF’s key pillars is advancing women leaders. This objective applies to leaders in all fields including business, academia and government, and also in sports, literature and the arts. It is only when we have equal numbers of women leading in all of these fields that the full spectrum of the human experience can be appreciated.