Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Sunday, January 29
    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Submit PR & Events
    • The HK Support Hub
    Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS
    The HK HUB
    • What’s On

      Digital Art : InnerGlow 2023 Returns To Tai Kwun Until February 12

      2023-01-28

      What’s On: The Best Family-Friendly Events This Month

      2023-01-16

      What’s On: The Most Exciting Events For All This Month

      2023-01-16

      7 Chinese New Year Events In Hong Kong

      2023-01-05

      New Year’s Eve Parties In Hong Kong To Wave Goodbye To 2022

      2022-12-15
    • Eat & Drink
      1. Bars
      2. Food
      3. Restaurants
      4. Reviews
      5. View All

      Where To Drink Mulled Wine & Buy Hot Wine Spices In Hong Kong

      2022-11-28

      15 Awesome Happy Hour Deals Around Hong Kong

      2022-10-31

      15 Great Restaurants & Bars To Visit In Causeway Bay

      2022-09-15

      Coa Named Asia’s Best Bar For 2nd Consecutive Year; 7 More Hong Kong Bars Appear In Top 50

      2022-05-05

      10 Lucky Chinese New Year Foods, Snacks & Treats

      2023-01-12

      Guide To Poon Choi & Where To Buy The Lunar New Year Dish In Hong Kong

      2023-01-03

      34 Best Brunches With Free-Flow Options To Try In Hong Kong Over The Weekend

      2022-12-20

      Christmas Afternoon Teas In Hong Kong To Enjoy With A Loved One

      2022-12-05

      34 Best Brunches With Free-Flow Options To Try In Hong Kong Over The Weekend

      2022-12-20

      Hong Kong’s New Restaurant & Bar Openings In December 2022

      2022-12-12

      8 Christmas And New Year’s Eve Menus And Buffets To Enjoy This Festive Season

      2022-11-30

      Our 10 Favourite Restaurants In Quarry Bay

      2022-11-30

      Restaurant Review – Modern Chinese Vegetarian at Miss Lee

      2020-03-05

      Restaurant Review: Middle Eastern Brunch at FRANCIS, Wan Chai

      2019-12-04

      Restaurant Review: Hue, Modern Australian with Harbour Views

      2019-11-27

      Review: Micasadeco & Café, Langham Place

      2019-09-20

      10 Lucky Chinese New Year Foods, Snacks & Treats

      2023-01-12

      Guide To Poon Choi & Where To Buy The Lunar New Year Dish In Hong Kong

      2023-01-03

      34 Best Brunches With Free-Flow Options To Try In Hong Kong Over The Weekend

      2022-12-20

      Hong Kong’s New Restaurant & Bar Openings In December 2022

      2022-12-12
    • Lifestyle
      1. Beauty
      2. Fashion
      3. Entertainment
      4. Interviews
      5. Outdoor
      6. Shopping
      7. View All

      15 Amazing Day Spas & Massages You’re Going To Love In Hong Kong

      2022-12-29

      10 Best Hotel Spas In Hong Kong For Luxurious Massages & Spa Packages

      2022-04-26

      Our Review of LifeHub’s IV Drip Treatment For Glowing Skin

      2021-12-09

      Our Review Of EstheClinic’s OXYPURE Oxygenation Facial

      2021-11-18

      Vipop Founder Lenia Pérez On How The Latin American Eco Fashion Brand Was Born

      2022-12-20

      Hong Kong Fashion Show By Lumiere Runway Hits Haw Par Mansion On 26 Nov (And We Got You 4 VIP Passes)

      2022-11-10

      Vipop Gives Us The Lowdown On Sustainable Fashion & How To Spot Greenwashing

      2022-10-17

      16 Local Hong Kong Fashion Brands For Stylish Women, Men & Kids

      2022-02-02

      Calvin Harris, The Chainsmokers & Tiësto To Play At Creamfields

      2023-01-27

      Top 7 Escape Rooms In Hong Kong

      2023-01-06

      Clockenflap Line-Up: Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Convenience & Moderat Announced

      2022-12-09

      EDM Festival Creamfields Will Return To Hong Kong In 2023

      2022-11-21

      Vipop Founder Lenia Pérez On How The Latin American Eco Fashion Brand Was Born

      2022-12-20

      “There’s A Lot To Be Done When It Comes To Laws” Protecting Women And Sexual Minorities In Hong Kong, Says SCMP Editor Salomé Grouard

      2022-06-30

      Founder Of Africa Center Hong Kong, Innocent Mutanga: “It’s Time We Take Ownership Of The African Story”

      2022-05-23

      Brian Eagen Lau On Transfeminism: “In Hong Kong, I Get Stared At A Lot; In Thailand, I Don’t Experience That”

      2022-04-07

      13 Awesome Skateparks In Hong Kong

      2023-01-11

      10 Places To See Autumn Leaves In Hong Kong

      2022-11-14

      10 Camping Spots For All Experience Levels In Hong Kong

      2022-11-01

      11 Public & Private Outdoor Barbecue Pits You Should Visit In Hong Kong

      2022-10-31

      20+ Best Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals In 2022 To Shop Online Or In-Person

      2022-11-25

      The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide With 100+ Ideas From Hong Kong Brands

      2022-11-22

      Where To Buy Your Christmas Tree In Hong Kong This Year

      2022-11-22

      PayPal HK Welcomes New Users In November With Shopping Vouchers

      2022-11-16

      Calvin Harris, The Chainsmokers & Tiësto To Play At Creamfields

      2023-01-27

      13 Awesome Skateparks In Hong Kong

      2023-01-11

      Top 7 Escape Rooms In Hong Kong

      2023-01-06

      15 Amazing Day Spas & Massages You’re Going To Love In Hong Kong

      2022-12-29
    • News
      1. Covid Pandemic
      2. Local News
      3. Nature & Science
      4. Society
      5. Sport
      6. View All

      No More 5-Day Isolation Period For Covid Patients From January 30, Says John Lee

      2023-01-19

      Travellers From Hong Kong To Macau Exempt From Covid-19 Testing, Starting January 8

      2023-01-06

      Hong Kong Schools To Resume Full-Day In-Person Classes, Starting February 1, 2023

      2022-12-29

      End Of Vaccine Pass And Quarantine Orders For Close Contacts Of Covid Patients, From December 29

      2022-12-28

      Sham Shui Po Fabric Market To Close on January 31, After 45 Years Of Operation

      2023-01-19

      SPCA’s Dog-Walking Event, Dogathon, Scheduled For March 26

      2023-01-18

      Hong Kong Lunar New Year Fairs To Be Held After Two-Year Hiatus

      2023-01-14

      Wong Tai Sin Temple’s First CNY Incense Offering Returns After Three Years

      2023-01-13

      Tropical Cyclone Nalgae : T8 Issued At 1.40PM.

      2022-11-02

      Total Lunar Eclipse Visible In Hong Kong On November 8

      2022-10-27

      Hexagonal Rock Formations In Sai Kung Declared A Geological Heritage Site

      2022-10-25

      Tropical Cyclone NESAT : T3 To Be Issued Between 10AM And Noon Today

      2022-10-17

      Hong Kong Families’ Monthly Income Drops To $27,100, 13.2% Of Employees Work 60-Plus Hours A Week

      2022-09-01

      More Than 100,000 Residents Left Hong Kong In The Past Year

      2022-08-12

      Prison Gothic: A New Font Inspired By Hong Kong’s Inmate-Made Road Signs

      2022-07-30

      Human Trafficking: Hong Kong Still On Tier 2 Watch List Says Report, HELP NGO Raises The Alarm For Domestic Workers

      2022-07-30

      Eco-Friendly Green Power Hike To Take Place In January 2023

      2022-12-19

      Hong Kong’s First Mountain Bike Practice Ground Opens In Lantau

      2022-12-17

      Hong Kong’s First Short Track Speed Skating Competition To Be Held On December 26

      2022-12-14

      Hong Kong Marathon Runner Quota Increased To 37,000

      2022-12-12

      Sham Shui Po Fabric Market To Close on January 31, After 45 Years Of Operation

      2023-01-19

      No More 5-Day Isolation Period For Covid Patients From January 30, Says John Lee

      2023-01-19

      SPCA’s Dog-Walking Event, Dogathon, Scheduled For March 26

      2023-01-18

      Hong Kong Lunar New Year Fairs To Be Held After Two-Year Hiatus

      2023-01-14
    • Family
      1. Activities
      2. Education
      3. Kids
      4. Pets
      5. View All

      What’s On: The Best Family-Friendly Events This Month

      2023-01-16

      Where To Meet Santa In Hong Kong In 2022

      2022-11-29

      11 Public & Private Outdoor Barbecue Pits You Should Visit In Hong Kong

      2022-10-31

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Lantau Island

      2022-09-28

      Hong Kong Schools To Resume Full-Day In-Person Classes, Starting February 1, 2023

      2022-12-29

      Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong Provides Innovative Modern Education Focused On Technology, Entrepreneurship & Sustainability

      2022-12-02

      ICHK Hong Lok Yuen Kindergarten & Primary Instils Love For Nature, Sense Of Global Citizenship

      2022-11-16

      14 Winter Camps In Hong Kong For A Stimulating Christmas Holiday

      2022-11-14

      14 Winter Camps In Hong Kong For A Stimulating Christmas Holiday

      2022-11-14

      29 Awesome Autumn Holiday Camps In Hong Kong For 2022

      2022-09-28

      14 Family-Friendly Restaurants In Hong Kong For A Yummy Time With The Little Ones

      2022-09-26

      11 Awesome Playgroups In Hong Kong To Prepare Your Toddler For Kindergarten & Beyond

      2022-09-12

      SPCA’s Dog-Walking Event, Dogathon, Scheduled For March 26

      2023-01-18

      Giant Panda An An Passes Away At 35

      2022-07-21

      Hong Kong Gets 12 More Pet-Friendly Parks

      2022-06-29

      Hong Kong To Introduce New Measures To Prevent Cruelty To Animals, May Require Cats To Be Microchipped

      2022-04-28

      SPCA’s Dog-Walking Event, Dogathon, Scheduled For March 26

      2023-01-18

      What’s On: The Best Family-Friendly Events This Month

      2023-01-16

      Hong Kong Schools To Resume Full-Day In-Person Classes, Starting February 1, 2023

      2022-12-29

      Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong Provides Innovative Modern Education Focused On Technology, Entrepreneurship & Sustainability

      2022-12-02
    • Culture

      The Cultural Guide To Kwun Yum Treasury Opening Festival

      2023-01-26

      A Cultural Guide To Chinese Lantern Festival, The Final Day Of CNY Celebrations

      2023-01-26

      Chinese New Year Displays: Where To See The Best Decorations & Installations In Hong Kong

      2023-01-18

      The Symbolism Of 8 Chinese New Year Fruits

      2023-01-16

      Your Complete Guide To Giving Lai See (Red Envelopes) During Chinese New Year

      2023-01-13
    • Sustainability

      Vipop Gives Us The Lowdown On Sustainable Fashion & How To Spot Greenwashing

      2022-10-17

      Greenwashing: How To Distinguish Between Real Sustainability Practices & Marketing Tactics?

      2022-07-11

      Vipop, Bringing Environmentally Conscious Latin American Fashion & Jewelry To Asia

      2022-07-04

      Where To Buy Environmentally-Friendly Clothing, Beauty, Home Products In Hong Kong?

      2022-07-04

      Eco-Fashion Advocate Sheryl Bolden’s Book ‘Sustainably Stylish’ Is A Guide To Building An Ethical Wardrobe

      2022-05-03
    • Wellness
      1. Diet
      2. Fitness
      3. Health
      4. View All

      Bust the Belly Fat: Nutrition for Healthy Weight Loss and Maintenance

      2018-02-27

      Hong Kong’s Top Gluten Free Restaurants and Cafés

      2014-12-01

      10 Muay Thai Studios You Should Visit In Hong Kong To Kick The Stress Away

      2022-09-29

      10 Amazing Yoga Studios In Hong Kong To Find Your Balance At

      2022-08-16

      KaiJai, Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats That Get Grippier As You Sweat

      2022-04-27

      Where To Go Rock Climbing and Bouldering In Hong Kong?

      2021-10-28

      5 Self-Care Trends To Look Out For In 2023

      2023-01-18

      What Is Occupational, Emotional, And Pandemic Burnout?

      2022-12-19

      Everything You Need To Know About The Hong Kong Vaccine Pass

      2022-09-23

      Chapter 3: A Story About Living With Gerascophobia (A Fear Of Growing Up)

      2022-08-15

      5 Self-Care Trends To Look Out For In 2023

      2023-01-18

      Collective Fitness, A Creative And Holistic Self-Awareness Experience

      2023-01-04

      15 Amazing Day Spas & Massages You’re Going To Love In Hong Kong

      2022-12-29

      What Is Occupational, Emotional, And Pandemic Burnout?

      2022-12-19
    • Travel
      1. Hotel Reviews
      2. Staycations & Hotels
      3. Travel Guides
      4. Travel To Hong Kong
      5. View All

      Review: Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong

      2022-02-09

      Review: Four Seasons Sayan, Bali

      2018-11-09

      Review: Weekend Escape At The Grand Lapa, Macau

      2015-10-02

      Review: Family Staycation At The Grand Coloane Resort, Macau

      2015-08-19

      20 Best Staycation Package Deals In Hong Kong For Your Next Special Occasion

      2022-12-05

      The Ultimate List Of Hong Kong’s Best 5-Star Hotels, For A Luxury Stay In The City

      2022-07-28

      12 Luxurious 5-Star Hotels In Manila, The Philippines’ Capital Region

      2022-06-08

      8 Best Budget-Friendly Hostels in Hong Kong

      2021-09-13

      What Are The International Covid-19 Testing Requirements For Passengers Departing Hong Kong?

      2023-01-03

      19 Best Travel Destinations To Visit In Asia-Pacific (With Entry Requirement Details)

      2022-10-05

      20 Places To Visit In Singapore And How To Get There

      2022-06-28

      The Traveller’s Guide For Exploring Palawan Island: What To See & What To Do

      2022-05-17

      Amber-Code Holders In Tour Groups Can Enter Theme Parks, Museums & Restaurants

      2022-11-07

      Hong Kong Officially Ends Hotel Quarantine, Replaces It With 3-Day Medical Surveillance

      2022-09-23

      Travelling To Hong Kong Checklist: What Are The Rules To Enter The City?

      2022-08-12

      Travellers Who Are Currently In Quarantine Can Be Discharged On Day 3 Starting Today

      2022-08-09

      What Are The International Covid-19 Testing Requirements For Passengers Departing Hong Kong?

      2023-01-03

      20 Best Staycation Package Deals In Hong Kong For Your Next Special Occasion

      2022-12-05

      Amber-Code Holders In Tour Groups Can Enter Theme Parks, Museums & Restaurants

      2022-11-07

      19 Best Travel Destinations To Visit In Asia-Pacific (With Entry Requirement Details)

      2022-10-05
    • HK Living
      1. Around HK
      2. Essential HK
      3. Neighbourhoods
      4. Work
      5. View All

      50 Interesting Things You Must Do In Hong Kong

      2022-04-21

      10 Awesome Gazetted Swimming Pools For Olympic Pools, Water Slides & Kids’ Facilities

      2021-10-07

      Your Guide To Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery

      2021-09-23

      French May 2021 Imagines A New World Full of Art And Fantasy… and Gastronomy!

      2021-04-30

      10 Best Serviced Apartments in Hong Kong With A Home Away From Home Feel

      2022-12-14

      6 Strawberry Farms To Visit For Picking Season In Hong Kong

      2022-12-01

      10 Places To See Autumn Leaves In Hong Kong

      2022-11-14

      42 Best Smartphone Apps In Hong Kong You Must Download

      2022-08-18

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Sai Kung

      2022-12-28

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Tai O Fishing Village

      2022-12-19

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Tai Hang

      2022-09-22

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Exploring Kennedy Town

      2022-06-30

      Bela Offices, Affordable Luxury Serviced Offices In Central And Sheung Wan

      2022-11-03

      How To Find The Right Office Rental In Hong Kong

      2022-10-11

      Top 15 Serviced Offices To Rent In Hong Kong For A Modern Workspace Experience

      2022-09-15

      Hong Kong Families’ Monthly Income Drops To $27,100, 13.2% Of Employees Work 60-Plus Hours A Week

      2022-09-01

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Sai Kung

      2022-12-28

      Your Friendly Neighbourhood Guide To Tai O Fishing Village

      2022-12-19

      10 Best Serviced Apartments in Hong Kong With A Home Away From Home Feel

      2022-12-14

      6 Strawberry Farms To Visit For Picking Season In Hong Kong

      2022-12-01
    The HK HUB
    Home»Lifestyle»Interviews»Why Hong Kong Makes a Great Setting For a Book
    Interviews

    Why Hong Kong Makes a Great Setting For a Book

    The HK HUBBy The HK HUB2015-09-17Updated:2015-11-24No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp

    A Writer’s Inspiration

    I ended up living in Hong Kong by accident really. Like many people, after graduating from university, I found myself in my early twenties with absolutely no idea what I was doing with my life. After moving back home and treading water for a couple of years, I took a punt, did an online TEFL certificate and moved to Chengdu, China to teach English for a term.

    My girlfriend Louise met me afterwards and we went on what has now become the rites-of-passage travelling trip around South East Asia. Whilst we were in Thailand, a job opportunity came up in Hong Kong for Louise and rather spontaneously, sunburnt and broke, we decided to go and live in the Fragrant Harbour indefinitely.

    Even through the tricky settling in phase where we lived in a fly-ridden serviced apartment with holes in the floor, I knew that I was going to enjoy living in Hong Kong. We based ourselves in Wan Chai, an exhilarating hub of all kinds of people, shops, bars, noises and odd smells and I could instantly see why people chose it as a good setting for a book.

    Like I imagine every new arrival does, I’d read the World of Suzie Wong prior to moving to Wan Chai and thoroughly enjoyed living amongst the streets described in the book. Gweilo, Fragrant Harbour and more recently Eating Smoke are further examples of excellent books set in Hong Kong, all painting very different pictures of a city that has so many different faces. I soon found I was making tenuous plans to write my own book.

    One of the wonderful things about Wan Chai and Hong Kong as a whole, is the huge contrast between the familiar and the unusual. For example, seeing pigs and ducks hung up in the windows of a café next door to a McDonald’s or walking past monks and old ladies burning incense on the pavements on your way to a British pub for a Sunday roast. These disparities make it a fascinating setting for a book and are a recurring theme in my book.

    Bright Lights and White Nights is about Troy, a relatively normal English man who moves to Hong Kong and finds himself embroiled in a bizarre narrative after making a bad decision. The start of the book touches on the wider difficulties of settling in to a new, foreign city but features lots of scenarios that are very much exclusive to Hong Kong such as Sunday afternoons in the bars of Wan Chai, junk boat outings and having lift doors slammed shut in your face. After Troy’s aforementioned bad decision, the second half of the book becomes a fast-paced crime plot which I think works well against the backdrop of a buzzing, bustling 24-hour city.

    In aesthetic terms, Hong Kong is the perfect setting for a novel. You have Victoria Harbour and the skyscrapers that you instinctively associate with the city (and come up when you type Hong Kong into Google Images), but there are also mountains, beaches, fishing villages, swanky restaurants, grimy karaoke pubs etc. – all in what is essentially a very small place.

    As an ignorant idiot, before I lived here, I had no idea about the incredible countryside and beaches that Hong Kong has on offer. Although I did, of course, enjoy the lively aspects of city living and was partial to the flashing lights of Wan Chai and LKF, some of my fondest memories are hiking the Hong Kong, Maclehose and Lantau trails. Troy and the other characters dot around all over the place throughout the book and I tried to shoehorn as many Hong Kong-specific locations as I could into the story.

    You can’t just write a novel about places though can you? Living in Hong Kong, you meet an interesting and diverse mix of people from all over the world and while none of the characters in my book are based on real people, my experiences here and the friendships I made with people coming and going through Hong Kong’s revolving door certainly helped to get some ideas flowing.

    I hope that Troy’s experiences paint an accurate and amusing portrayal of expatriate lifestyles in Hong Kong. Becoming an informant for the Hong Kong police as they chase a drugs mob is perhaps not something that people will directly relate to but it is fiction after all and hopefully readers will enjoy his adventures!

    Please check out my book in Dymocks DB or on Amazon.

    I also do a weekly Goodreads blog called Monday Musings which often refers to my time in Hong Kong.

     

    Rate this post
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit WhatsApp
    The HK HUB
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Created by Hong Kong lovers for Hong Kong lovers, The HK HUB offers you a daily dose of stories, deals, and tips about this unique and amazing city. If you're looking for the best places to visit, to know more about the Hong Kong Culture, to find a cool restaurant or bar to chill with your friends, or an exciting thing to do over the weekend with your family, we've got you covered. The HK HUB opens the doors to Hong Kong.

    Related Posts

    Vipop Founder Lenia Pérez On How The Latin American Eco Fashion Brand Was Born

    2022-12-20 Fashion

    “There’s A Lot To Be Done When It Comes To Laws” Protecting Women And Sexual Minorities In Hong Kong, Says SCMP Editor Salomé Grouard

    2022-06-30 Interviews

    Founder Of Africa Center Hong Kong, Innocent Mutanga: “It’s Time We Take Ownership Of The African Story”

    2022-05-23 Interviews

    Add comment

    Partners
    CCW banner
    banner coral hub hong kong
    compass offices side banner
    Vipop - Sustainable Fashion Shop
    tutor time international nursery and kindergarten in hong kong

    Subscribe to updates

    Open the door to Hong Kong and get your weekly dose of stories, deals and tips.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS
    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Submit PR & Events
    • The HK Support Hub
    • Directory
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2023 All Rights Reserved. Designed by Get Clicks.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.