Truth, Fiction, and New Worlds
A Writing Workshop & Book Talk with Yin Lo
Friday 20th February 2026
Join novelist Yin Lo for two exciting events exploring the art of storytelling.
In Some Truth, Much Lies workshop, experiment with autofiction and learn to blend personal truth with imagination. In The Rise of ESEA Speculative Storytelling Book Talk, discover how East and Southeast Asian writers are reshaping speculative fiction with insights from Zhui Ning Chang and Michael Tsang.
Perfect for writers, readers, and anyone curious about innovative contemporary narratives.
15:00 - 17:30pm
Some Truth, Much Lies: Autofiction Writing Workshop £5
Yin Lo (Tutor)
Explore the art of autofiction—blending personal truth with imaginative storytelling—in this hands-on workshop led by novelist Yin Lo. Born and raised in Hong Kong and now based in London, Yin brings her experience from acclaimed works including Yung Yung and Grafting to guide participants through creating stories that blur the lines between fact and fiction. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply curious about experimenting with your own experiences on the page, this workshop offers a supportive space to play, reflect, and write.
19:00 - 20:30pm
The Rise of ESEA Speculative Storytelling Book Talk £8
Zhui Ning Chang (Guest Speaker), Michael Tsang (Guest Speaker), Yin Lo (Host)
Discover the exciting world of East and Southeast Asian speculative storytelling! Join Zhui Ning Chang, a writer, editor, and theatre maker, and Michael Tsang, a lecturer and literary critic, as they explore how writers in the region are creating imaginative stories that blend culture, history, and fantasy. From science fiction and queer romcoms to thought-provoking essays and translations, this conversation highlights the creativity and innovation shaping ESEA literature today. Perfect for readers, writers, and anyone curious about storytelling from the region.
About the Speakers:
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Yin Lo
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yin is a novelist, lives and works in London. After finishing a master’s degree in Gender Studies at University College London, her writing journey has begun. Her first book Yung Yung - a novella published with CLEAN PRESS in Feb 2019, Hong Kong, was selected in the Aesop Queer Library Hong Kong in 2022. Yung Yung also won Q Literature 2024 by Q Power Taiwan. Her second novel Grafting was published by Squirrel Culture in 2024, Taiwan. And she is onto the next writing journey Rabbit Hole at the present. http://loyu.work
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Zhui Ning Chang is a Malaysian editor, writer, translator and theatre maker based in London, UK. They are editor-in-chief at khōréō, an IGNYTE-winning and Hugo-nominated magazine of speculative fiction and migration. Zhui Ning is also a co-editor on the anthologies Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020 (Malaysian Writers Society) and Latin American Plays in Translation (Bloomsbury). As a writer, Zhui Ning co-created the time travel adventure Asian Pirate Musical and queer romcom Seashore Yuanfen, and their essays, translations, and articles have been published by PEN Malaysia, Science Fiction Studies, Strange Horizons, This is Southeast Asia, and more. https://www.zhuiningchang.com/
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Michael Tsang lectures on East Asian literature and popular culture at the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck College. His writing has been published in Japan Forum, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Wasafiri, Sanglap, and other journals and volumes. He is a founding co-editor of Hong Kong Studies (Chinese University Press), the world's only bilingual academic journal specifically devoted to Hong Kong, and the co-editor of Murakami Haruki and Our Years of Pilgrimage (Routledge, 2022). He is also staff reviewer at Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, where he has established an extensive profile of reviews of Asian literature.
Friday 20th February 2026
3:00-5:30pm
Some Truth, Much Lies workshop £5
7:00-8:30pm
The Rise of ESEA Speculative Storytelling Book Talk £8
Day Pass (workshop & book talk) £10
