News

The International Writers’ Workshop (IWW) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is delighted to feature Ms Jessica Au in this year’s annual Distinguished Writers Series. Ms Au, an award-winning novelist renowned for her novel Cold Enough for Snow (2022), winner of the inaugural Novel Prize, will present her work and engage in conversation at a Literary Reading and Conversation on 22 October 2025 to inspire students from HKBU and local secondary schools as well as the general public. She will also share her insights on the craft of writing at a Masterclass to be held on 23 October.

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Ms Au achieved global acclaim with her novel Cold Enough for Snow, published by Giramondo (Australia), New Directions (North America), and Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK). The book has been translated into nineteen languages and garnered prestigious accolades such as the Victorian Prize for Literature and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction. It was also shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, and the Queensland Literary Awards, and longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award.

Each year in the fall semester, the IWW’s Distinguished Writers Series honours one esteemed international writer who will give a literary reading and discuss his or her literary works with local writers and readers. The IWW also runs a competitive residency programme in the spring semester each year, with an open call for applications from potential writers-in-residence who will be featured at the IWW Literary Festival in March. Further details about the event can be found on the IWW Facebook page.

About IWW

Founded in 2004, the IWW remains one of the signature programmes of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at HKBU. For 20 years, the IWW has hosted over 140 writers from more than 55 different countries, and it is one of the few writers-in-residence programmes in Asia. As a self-funded and non-profit initiative, the IWW has consistently organised free public events to promote literary and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the world. Demonstrating HKBU’s commitment to the arts, the IWW serves as an important platform for promoting the development of literature in Hong Kong. Please visit the website or Facebook page for further information about IWW activities and writers