PANEL | Beyond the Real Writing Power, History, and the Unseen
Schedule
Sat Mar 07 2026 at 11:00 am to 12:15 pm
UTC+08:00Location
Fringe Club - Fringe Underground | Hong Kong, HK
About this Event
Beyond the Real: Writing Power, History, and the Unseen
Speakers: Gabriela Babnik Ouattara, Susan Barker and Siang Lu
Moderator: Nicole Alpert
Date: March 7, Sat
Time: 11:00am - 12:15pm
Venue: Fringe Club - Fringe Underground
Address: 2 Lower Albert Rd, Central
Price: HKD298
Language: English
Format: Panel
Description:
When realism falls short, writers often turn to the uncanny, the surreal, and the speculative. In this wide-ranging conversation, Susan Barker, Gabriela Babnik Ouattara, and Siang Lu explore how bending reality can reveal deeper truths about power, history, and agency. Drawing on work that spans cyclical time, dreamlike intimacy, and speculative futures, the authors discuss why non-realist techniques are especially potent for writing women’s inner lives, postcolonial encounters, and social inequality. Together, they ask what stories can emerge when narrative refuses to stay within the limits of the real.
This event is presented with the support of the International Writers’ Workshop at Hong Kong Baptist University.
About the Speakers:
Gabriela Babnik Ouattara
Gabriela Babnik Ouattara is a writer, critic, and translator whose work spans fiction, essays, and radio plays. In 2013, she received the European Union Prize for Literature for her novel, Sušna Doba (Dry Season), translated into fifteen languages. Her latest novel, Nostalgia for the Future, is her eighth, and all her novels have been nominated for Novel of the Year in Slovenia. She holds a Master of Arts in postcolonial studies, lived for several years in Africa, and founded Hirondelle Press, which connects Europe and Africa through creative writing.
Susan Barker
Susan Barker is the author of four books. Her third novel, The Incarnations (2015), was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and Notable Book, a Kirkus Reviews’ Top Ten Book of the Year, was shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction, winner of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize and a Waterstones Bookclub pick. An excerpt from Old Soul (2025) won a Northern Writers’ Award for Fiction in 2020, as well as funding from Arts Council England and The Society of Authors. Susan currently lives in Manchester, where she is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Siang Lu
Siang Lu is the Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities and ABIA-winning author of The Whitewash. He is the co-creator of The Beige Index and the creator of #sillybookstagram. Ghost Cities was shortlisted for eight additional awards, including the ALS Gold Medal, The Voss Literary Prize and The Age Book of the Year. In 2026, Ghost Cities will be published with Simon & Schuster’s Summit UK and US imprints, and in 24 territories in translation. Siang is based in Brisbane, Australia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Don’t miss our special offer: Buy 3, Get 1 Complimentary!
Purchase 3 tickets to any events under HKILF 2026 and claim a complimentary seat at one of these exciting talks at Central Library:
• 3rd March (Tue): On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters (7:00-8:30pm)
• 4th March (Wed): I Deliver Parcels in Beijing (7:00-8:30pm)
• 5th March (Thu): Amitav Ghosh: Ghost-Eye (7:00-8:30pm)
To redeem your complimentary seat, email us at [email protected] with:
• Your 3 ticket order numbers
• The event you’d like to attend
• Subject line: Buy 3, Get 1 Complimentary!
Hurry! Offer valid until ticket lasts
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ABOUT HKILF
The Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) inspires the joy of reading by bringing the world’s writers and stories to Hong Kong’s diverse communities. A dynamic year-round programme and an annual festival offer dialogue, entertainment and perspective, while the Young Readers Festival (YRF) motivates students to engage with all aspects of the written word, improving communication skills, while nurturing the art of writing and storytelling.
The annual festival features established and emerging writers from around the world, alongside local literary talents, in a programme that includes panel discussions, book talks, readings, workshops, walks, school programmes, performances, and more.
We are a registered charity non-profit organisation dedicated to bringing the best in the literary arts to Hong Kong. To find more, please visit our official website: https://www.festival.org.hk.
Please note that:
*We are unable to process refunds, please consider your ticket purchase a donation to the festival.
*Photos and videos of participants may be taken during the activities,which may be used by the organiser and the major sponsor for educational and promotional purposes in any way deemed appropriate, including disseminationthrough printed and online channels. Participation in the programme will constitute the participants’ consent to the above arrangement.
*The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Hong Kong International Literary Festival. HKILF disclaims any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared by the speakers.
*If the Black Rainstorm Warning or the Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8 or above is in force 3 hours before the start time of an event, the event will be cancelled and participants will receive a refund. If the Red or Yellow Rainstorm Warning or the Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 3 is in effect, the event will be held as scheduled.
Where is it happening?
Fringe Club - Fringe Underground, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong KongEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
HKD 253.30 to HKD 298.00
