Author Q&A: Sonia Leung

Author/ Bookish Everybody
18 May 2025

Sonia Leung is an award-winning poet, fiction and creative non-fiction writer from Hong Kong. Her work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies worldwide. She is the author of Don’t Cry, Phoenix (2020), a poetry collection. The Girl Who Dreamed is her second book, around which there was quite a buzz at the recent HKILF. She is finalizing her third, Three-inch Heaven: Stories of Resilience and Determination, a collection of essays and short stories reflecting Chinese women’s lives.

How did you become a writer?

This may sound dramatic, but I became a writer out of an existential threat. When I was ten and my younger sister was eight, we were left behind in our parents’ hometown in the Fujian province of China. My third uncle bullied us, beating my sister hard once. I wrote to our mother in Hong Kong, which stopped him from hurting us again and improved our overall living condition. This experience gave me my first taste of literary power, making me dream about becoming a writer.

But life intervened. I didn’t come to writing again until I turned 40 and had ‘a room of my own.’ The voice of the ten-year-old within me would not be still. It urged me to tell stories about my maternal grandmother, my mother, and myself initially to the world, showcasing the resilience and determination of Chinese women in the 20th and 21st Centuries.

In 2014, I quit my full-time, well-paid commercial job and enrolled in the now-defunct CityU MFA program to give myself two years to write. I haven’t looked back since.

What would you be doing otherwise?

I would become a Director of Sales and Marketing, a Managing Director, or a successful business owner who would feel deeply unfulfilled.

Of the people you have written about, which is your favourite and why?

I have written about my maternal grandmother in a story called Heaven of Blue, which will appear in my next book, Three-Inch Heaven, a collection of short fiction based on true stories. The ‘three-inch’ in the title is a metaphor for the pain and injustice Chinese women suffer today, as if the foot-binding practice had never ended.

Grandma, a 10-year-old indentured servant, had no agency in the first half of her life. Yet, her virtues and stamina carried her through, earning her respect and recognition. She single-handedly kept a large family together. This is not just another story; it’s a profound reflection of my grandmother’s perseverance and the struggles she overcame, making it particularly significant to me.

Writing about Grandma has been a deeply empowering experience. I hope her story will shed light on other women, especially those who go through dark domestic times.

Tell us about your writing method. Is there a secret?

The secret to my writing process is that I still use pen and paper for note-taking. When I read the materials for a new poem, essay, or story, taking notes by hand helps me structure the piece I want to write. It also helps me see the big picture and figure out what the piece is really about. The physical writing itself enhances my memory and deepens my thinking. I recommend you try it, especially when you feel stuck facing a blank screen. It may work wonders.

Which author, alive or dead, would you most like to meet?

Ba Jin (1904 – 2005), an influential contemporary Chinese writer, penned The Torrent Trilogy: The Family, Spring, and Autumn, one of the most-read Chinese novels. His extensive writings about the turbulent times of old and new China have always intrigued me. I wish I could have a fear-free overnight chat with him and learn about his real views on the different governments and societies. His insights could be invaluable as I wish to write a family saga in modern China, reflecting the continuity and changes of Chinese culture and society.

“Having a long life,” Ba Jin said once, “is a curse.” Then he quickly added, “I live for my comrades as well.” What if he didn’t need to be positive and always say the right thing, but could just be himself and share his innermost thoughts and feelings? Perhaps Ba Jin (who studied English before pursuing further education in France) can help me write my family saga. It could be the new version of The Torrent Trilogy, reimagining the original with a fresh perspective, making it as impactful as Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth.

Tell us about your favourite bookshop in the world.

Livraria Portuguesa, Macau. Founded over 30 years ago, this cosy, stylish bookstore has been located in the heart of Macau’s historic district since day one. It not only carries English and Portuguese titles but also a small selection of Chinese books, of which the Chinese version of my memoir is proud to be one. This two-story bookshop also has a basement that hosts regular cultural events such as book launches, author talks, writing workshops, exhibitions, and concerts. LP’s history, beauty, and artsy flair have made it a must-visit place in Macau, like Shakespeare and Company in Paris.

What advice would you give your younger, writer self?

Even if you don’t see characters like yourself in the English books you read, your story is still worth presenting in English. In fact, it is essential for you to write about the lives like yours in English, the lingua franca, because the stories of working-class, impoverished mainland immigrants, and other marginalized groups are worth telling, and such narratives should have a place in Hong Kong Anglophone literature.

You have a voice, and your voice matters.

What future book projects do you have in mind?

I am currently working on three book projects. The aforementioned Three-Inch Heaven is a collection of short fiction based on true stories, including my mother’s and grandmother’s stories. Climbing the Writing Mountain, an essay collection, comprises the critical essays from my MFA times about the books that informed my non-fiction writing, and it is also an extension of my memoir, The Girl Who Dreamed, as it ends at age twenty-six. I continue to write my life stories in essays rather than in the long form. Lastly, Portable Home will be my second poetry collection, exploring the concept of home and belonging from the perspective of a world citizen and literature lover.

Extra: Read our book review of Sonia Leung’s The Girl Who Dreamed here.

About the Author

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