PANEL | The Art of Literary Translation

Speakers: Jacqueline Leung, Nicholas Stephens and Dong Li

Moderator: Ann Morgan

Date: March 7, Sat

Time: 11:00am - 12:15pm

Venue: Goethe-Institut Hong Kong

Address: 13F & 14F, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai

Price: HKD148

Language: English

Format: Panel

Description:
Join acclaimed translators Dong Li, Nicholas Stephens, and Jacqueline Leung as they explore the craft of bringing literature across languages and cultures. Dong Li shares his experience translating contemporary Chinese poetry into English, while Nicholas Stephens discusses rendering Austrian literature—Stefan Zweig, Arthur Schnitzler, Hugo von Hofmannsthal—into accessible English. Jacqueline Leung reflects on translating modern Chinese novels. The panel delves into challenges of voice, nuance, and cultural context, offering aspiring translators practical insights and inspiration. Whether navigating poetry, fiction, or drama, this session illuminates how translators bridge worlds, making local stories resonate for global readers.

This event is presented with the support of the International Writers’ Workshop at Hong Kong Baptist University.

About the Speakers:

Jacqueline Leung

Jacqueline Leung is a translator, editor, and writer from Hong Kong. Her translation of Hon Lai Chu’s novel Mending Bodies (2025) is a winner of PEN Presents by the English PEN. Her work has appeared in HEAT, Wasafiri, Gulf Coast, Nashville Review, SAND Journal, the Asian Review of Books, Asymptote, Cha, Books from Taiwan, and elsewhere. She is a translation editor at The Offing, a mentor for Hong Kong prose at the American Literary Translation Association’s Emerging Translator Mentorship Program, and an Asian Cultural Council literature fellow.

Nicholas Stephens

Nicholas Stephens lives in Hong Kong and translates novels and plays from German into English. His publications include Chess Story by Stefan Zweig, Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler and Godless Youth by Ödön von Horváth, all available on Amazon Kindle. In 2024, he authored The Repulse Bay Murders, a Hong Kong M**der mystery novel under the nom de plume of Mai-Po Marszch. His articles on the Hong Kong art scene and the growing profile of Asian artists in Europe have been featured in several publications including The Nikkei, The South China Morning Post and Sotheby’s Online.

Dong Li

Dong Li is a multilingual author who translates from Chinese, English, French, and German. He has translated books by Victoria Chang, Forrest Gander, SONG Lin, Anne Weber, Eliot Weinberger, C.D. Wright, YE Hui, ZANG Di, ZHU Zhu and more. His debut poetry collection, The Orange Tree (2023), was the inaugural winner of the Phoenix Emerging Poet Book Prize and a finalist for the Poetry Society of America’s Four Quartets Prize.

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

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.

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