Malinda Lo Author Talk

As part of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, Island School and Renaissance College attended an author talk by Malinda Lo on 24 March 2022. The talk primarily focused on Lo’s book, ‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’.

Set in 1950s San Francisco, this novel tells the story of seventeen-year-old Lily Hu and her reckoning with her sexuality as a Chinese American during the Red Scare and McCarthyism. This event also formed part of Island School’s Diversity Week celebrations, aiming to honour the vast spectrum of identities present within the Island School community.

Malinda Lo

During the talk, Malinda Lo first presented a slideshow introducing the participants to Last Night at the Telegraph Club and reading an excerpt from the novel. She then shared insight about her creative process, especially into how she researched the time period and setting whilst writing the story. The session concluded with a Q&A session, with Lo answering questions about her book, career and her personal life.

Anakin Teahan (12R) said: “It was a wonderful talk and a valuable experience for Island School students that highlighted the importance of representation and the empowerment of marginalised voices in literature.”

Article by Nicole Yuen