All of our anthologies are “about” Hong Kong. Stories might be set here, or feature characters from here, or be meditations on Hong Kong life through the prism of an alternate time or place. Each anthology has a theme, which may be a genre (Hong Kong Whodunnits or Hong Kong Gothic) or some form of writing restriction (such as Hotel China, which took place in a single hotel, or Of Gods and Mobsters, in which all stories were re-tellings of other famous works). The theme gives unity to each anthology and allows us to showcase our individual writers and provide a good, consistent read at the same time!
All members can submit a story idea for each anthology and we strive to include as many of our members as we can. Participation is geared towards the development of each writer, so feedback is provided by editors and through peer critique groups as the stories go through the drafting stages. Our anthologies are edited by volunteer members, which provides another skillset for more experienced writers. We also aim to engage local artists and designers for our covers (with Hong Kong Future Perfect, Hong Kong Gothic, Another Hong Kong and Of Gods and Mobsters being great examples). The process is rounded up by a launch party, which is always a celebration of the hard work that has gone before.
Every year we publish an anthology of short fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. These are one of the cornerstones of the Hong Kong Writers Circle and a key part of the “career path” for our members.
Our anthologies are published in paperback and as e-books and can be bought from local bookshops, including Bookazine. Most of our anthologies have been launched at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Our books have received reviews from newspapers and literary magazines, including the South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Review of Books.
Our 2022-2023 anthology A Book of Changes launched on the last night of the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival upstairs at the Fringe March 12. A review by the Hong Kong Review of Books can be found here.
Our 2023-2024 anthology Lost in Transition launched at the 2024 Hong Kong Literary Festival 6 March in a packed event at the Hong Kong Fringe. Stewart McKay was lead editor. He was assisted by Sadie Kaye. The book can be found in Bookazine and Amazon.
Our 2024-2025 anthology celebrates the twenty year anniversary of the Hong Kong Writers Circle and is on the theme of ‘Score‘. Sam Powney took up the role as lead editor. He was assisted by Jay Oatway and Cassandra Lee Yieng. The anthology received a record number of submissions and was the first Hong Kong Literary Festival 2025 event to sell out of tickets! (But as tickets are free, there will be no-shows, so it’s very much worth turning up to the Jockey Club Theatre at the Hong Kong Fringe Club before 6pm on Sunday 2 March!)
Hong Kong Writers Circle 
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