Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

Thinking of all those affected in our community and beyond during this difficult time.

Cultural Mavericks | Columbia University Press In recent decades, self-proclaimed “independent bookstores” have arisen across China. In the West, such retailers represent an alternative to corporation... | CUP

Independent bookstores in China differentiate themselves from the state-owned Xinhua Bookstore& other privately owned shops through an emphasis on the free exchange of ideas.

We're seeking reviewers to engage with this book. If interested,pls email t@asiancha.com.

cup.columbia.edu/book/cultura...

𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋

Adam Sisman and long-time @asiancha.bsky.social contributor Paul French explore the art of uncovering hidden lives. Moderator: Julian Stargardt

6 March 2026 | 12:00-2:00pm | Fringe Club,
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘: 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

@asiancha.bsky.social contributors Ysabelle Cheung & Karen Cheung & Cha Reading Series speaker Kaitlin Chan will explore their creative practices & storytelling approaches.

8 March | 3:00-4:15 pm | Fringe Club

www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1...

PANEL | The Art of Literary Translation Jacqueline Leung, Nicholas Stephens, and Dong Li discuss their experiences of maintaining the nuances when translating to English.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍—Nicholas Stephens, Dong Li, and @asiancha.bsky.social contributor Jacqueline Leung will be discussing their experiences as translators. Moderated by Ann Morgan.

7 March 2026 | 11:00am - 12:15pm | Goethe-Institut Hong Kong

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1...

📣CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Work-in-Progress Workshop 2026
Society for Hong Kong Studies

Submissions to be sent to: info@hkstudies.org
Include: title, abstract (250 words), keywords, and project type (paper, chapter, article, etc)

Submission Deadline: 23 March 2026

#cfp #ecr #HongKongStudies

Join us for the film screening & special presentation by Producer Prof. Helen F. Siu on the documentary film 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑦 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 灣區變形記.

📆 Wed 11 March
⏰ 5:30-7:30pm
🎞️ Auditorium, Asian Center, UBC
Registration:https://hksi.ubc.ca/events/event/bhk2026-docu-screening/

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬—@asiancha.bsky.social 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 & 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, & 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

We invite proposals that place HK and Ireland in the same analytical frame, with both locations integral to the argument in a paper.

⧉ chajournal.com/2026/02/17/c...

𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄: Amid the post-2019 Hong Kong exodus, a schoolteacher and an artist embark on a three-year immigration journey to Canada.

Thursday 12 March 2026
12:35 - 1:50 PM PDT
Room 116, Vancouver Convention Centre

www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1...

Heads up for this coming Saturday at the Macao International Literary Festival

【🎬 Movie Screening & Q& - Ballad of a Small Player

➟ Time: 07/3 21:15

➟ Cinema Alegria

➟ Q&A with novelist Lawrence Osborne, producer Mile Goodridge and Paul French

Tickets website 👉🏻 1ticks.com/event/TSRMov...

March 3 2026 - ChinaRhyming - It's Hong Kong and Macao Lit Fest Time I'll be at both the Hong Kong and Macao Literary Festivals this March....talking John le Carre's Asia, a Ballad of a Small Player panel, Old Shanghai, Macao books at sunset & some other events...

March 3 2026 - ChinaRhyming - It's Hong Kong and Macao Lit Fest Time

I'll be at both the Hong Kong and Macao Literary Festivals this March....talking John le Carre's Asia, a Ballad of a Small Player panel, Old Shanghai, Macao books at sunset & some other events...
open.substack.com/pub/paulfren...

Do not miss this HK International Literary Festival event featuring TWO @asiancha.bsky.social guest editors, Joshua Ip ("Writing Singapore") & James Shea ("Writing Japan")!

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬‑𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
Mar 6 | 5:30-6:30 pm
Moderator: Huiwen Shi

www.eventbrite.hk/e/talk-forms...
。。。。。

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧-𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐆 The inaugural exhibition of paintings by Jean-Claude Van Damme (pictured here with his painting of Hong Kong) will take place, fittingly, in Hong Kong.

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...

Do not miss this Hong Kong International Literary Festival event featuring two @asiancha.bsky.social guest editors, Joshua Ip ("Writing Singapore") & James Shea ("Writing Japan")!

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬‑𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: www.eventbrite.hk/e/talk-forms...
。。。。。

Join us for the book talk by Dr. Ting Guo (Assistant Professor of Language Studies, University of Toronto) on 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑎 (2025).

📆 Tuesday 10 March
⏰ 2:00-2:45pm
🎞️ Auditorium, Asian Centre, UBC
Registration: hksi.ubc.ca/events/event...

𝐍𝐄𝐖 @asiancha.bsky.social—Jonathan Han on James Shea's prize-winning 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑦 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑒:

/ Shea’s poems do not readily yield to explanation. They entice with wit & draw the reader in with apparent lucidity, yet the crux of the poetry often remains elusive./

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/03/02/d...

Join us for the book talk presented by Charles Fung, PhD student in sociology at State University of New York,Stony Brook, about 𝐴 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐷𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑜𝑛𝑔, 1945–1997 (2025), in collaboration with Florence Mok of Nanyang Technological University. Registration: hksi.ubc.ca/events/event...

𝐍𝐄𝐖 @asiancha.bsky.social—Jennifer Eagleton on 𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑍ℎ𝑎𝑜 𝐻𝑎𝑖 𝑇𝑖𝑒𝑛 (HKU Press,2026): "... a series of informative essays on the renowned contemporary artist Zhao Hai Tien, tracing her evolution& the development of her artistic practice & philosophy."

chajournal.com/2026/03/02/z...

Date: Monday 2 March 2026
Time: 4:00pm-5:30pm
Venue: Bookazine Social
Tickets: www.eventbrite.hk/e/workshop-w...

In 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄-𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓, novelist & @asiancha.bsky.social contributor Thammika Songkaeo argues that voice is more important than plot in captivating stories.
。。。。。

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑔𝑎 𝑃𝑜𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑠 brings together in print the voices of those who lived it—the activists, observers and members of the public who found themselves swept into the storm.

If you'd like to write about it for CHA, email t@asiancha.com.

More information: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...

[𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔] A Conversation on 𝐿𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Wregas Bhanuteja

/ The film makes a case for forgiveness, community, and empathy as prerequisites for survival and resistance. It possesses the audience with its spiritual & deeply felt charm. /

chajournal.com/2026/02/27/l...

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦.

Combine the two, and what do you get?—𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒂.

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: kubrickpoems.blogspot.com/2026/02/kubr...
。。

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝟐
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Aastha Uprety’s essay reads Jia Zhangke's 𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 and Razan AlSalah's 𝐴 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 as twin elegies of engineered upheaval, where dams and pipelines reorder earth and memory.

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/15/d...
。。。。。

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 # 𝟏
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Between a father’s aphasic silence and a mother’s nightly monologues, Vietnamese persists. English, institutional and analytic, both wounds & equips. The poem of the same title makes loss speak.

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/13/d...

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝟐
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Aastha Uprety’s essay reads Jia Zhangke's 𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 and Razan AlSalah's 𝐴 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 as twin elegies of engineered upheaval, where dams and pipelines reorder earth and memory.

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/15/d...
。。。。。

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝟑
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

In this reflective essay, Gutierrez Mangansakan II recounts acting on a film by Lav Diaz to examine how Mindanao shapes Diaz’s cinema.

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/09/l...
。。。。。

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝟒
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Kevin McGeary writes about Lai Wen’s 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 (Spiegel & Grau, 2024), a dramedy.

“In China, you may not be interested in politics. But politics is interested in you.”

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/20/s...

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝟓
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬—Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 & 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝:
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, & 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

⧉ 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: chajournal.com/2026/02/17/c...
。。。。。

𝐍𝐄𝐖 @asiancha.bsky.social FIRST IMPRESSIONS—Kevin McGeary on Lai Wen’s 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒:

/ In Lai Wen’s novel 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒, one character muses, “In China, you may not be interested in politics. But politics is interested in you.”

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/20/s...

𝐍𝐄𝐖 @asiancha.bsky.social 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒—Kevin McGeary writes about Lai Wen’s 𝑇𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 (Spiegel & Grau, 2024): "One character muses, 'In China, you may not be interested in politics. But politics is interested in you.'"

⧉ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: chajournal.com/2026/02/20/s...
。。。。。