HK24: Twenty-four hours of Hong Kong Stories (2017)
Every year we publish an anthology of short fiction, often mixed in with poetry and non-fiction too. These are one of the cornerstones of the Hong Kong Writers Circle and are a key part of the "career path" for our members. You can see our previous anthologies and look at some of the great reviews we've received.
All of our anthologies are "about" Hong Kong in one way or another. 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 (such as 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 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 skill set 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 of this). The process is rounded up by a launch party, which is always a celebration of the hard work that has gone before.
Our anthologies are available as e-books and can be bought from local bookshops.
-- SCC Overton
All of our anthologies are "about" Hong Kong in one way or another. 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 (such as 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 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 skill set 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 of this). The process is rounded up by a launch party, which is always a celebration of the hard work that has gone before.
Our anthologies are available as e-books and can be bought from local bookshops.
-- SCC Overton
Information for HKWC Members
Anthology announcements are always in the newsletter, so keep an eye out for the next round of submissions. This is usually in the first quarter of the year. There is a great deal of guidance for contributors and editors in the HKWC Code of Conduct on the Documents page but the general message is that being part of an HKWC anthology is a developmental process, with everything that that implies. And don't forget - HKWC anthologies make great Christmas presents!
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