Backreading Hong Kong

2026

π„π•π„π‘π˜πƒπ€π˜ π‹πˆπ…π„
π‘π„πˆπŒπ€π†πˆππ„πƒ:
π‚πšπ₯π₯ 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚π₯𝐬

The theme of the 2026 edition of the Backreading Hong Kong: An Annual Symposium is “Everyday Life Reimagined.”

βœ‰οΈ Proposal Deadline: January 16, 2026
πŸ“… Symposium Date: March 10 – 12, 2026
🏫 Venue: University of British Columbia

We are calling for proposals from scholars across disciplines (literature, cinema, media, translation, history, cultural studies) that engage critically with the theme β€œEveryday Life Reimagined” for the 2026 symposium.

The 2026 symposium aims to explore the power of imagination and the possibility of creativity in cultural texts and practices in reflecting on paradigms, boundaries, and subject-object positionings and (re-)thinking with non-human actors, precarious subjects, and historically marginalized communities.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

– Human and nonhuman agency and relation
– Dealing with precarity
– Dis-/Re-enchantment and the practice of everyday life
– Intersections of race, gender, class, and language
– Adaptation across media
– Collaborative practices and productive imagination in the arts

Please send a 250-word abstract outlining your paper’s main argument, methodology, and contribution, along with a short biographical note (max 150 words) to Dr. Helena Wu (helena.wu@ubc.ca), Dr. Tammy Lai-Ming Ho (tammyho@asiancha.com), and Dr. Chris Song (chriszj.song@utoronto.ca).

Selected participants will be invited to present at the in-person symposium held at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

More details: https://hksi.ubc.ca/events/event/backreading-hk-ubc-2026/


Backreading Hong Kong: An Annual Symposium connects scholars around the world to share their humanities research and findings of Hong Kong. This 2026 symposium is supported by the UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative, UBC Asian Studies, and Cha: An Asian Literary Journal.