A View to Die For, 2018, acrylic on watercolour paper, 39.7 x 33.4 cm
A Cover Art Project for "Hong Kong Noir" commissioned by Bleak House Books.
About the book
"Hong Kong Noir digs below the financial centre's gleaming surface to unearth stories of the city's ghosts and spirits...The stories touch on major points in Hong Kong modern history: the horrors of Japanese occupation, post-war poverty, the economic boom under the British, the city's return to Chinese sovereignty, and the tensions of the 2014 'umbrella movement' occupation of key thoroughfares by pro-democracy activists. What better way to tie together the present and the past--the living and the dead--than through ghost stories?"
--South China Morning Post
"The history of Hong Kong, once a fishing village, encompasses piracy, the opium trade, prostitution, corruption, espionage and revolutionary plots; grist for the 14 dark tales in Hong Kong Noir."
--BBC Culture
What will Hong Kong look like in five years, ten years, or thirty years--when the "one country, two systems" promise expires? It's impossible to foresee. Hong Kong's future may not be within our control, but some things are. We can continue to write about our beloved city and work our hardest to preserve it in words. When we asked our contributors to write their noir stories, we didn't give them specific content guidelines other than to make sure their stories end on a dark note. What we received was a brilliant collection of ghost stories, murder mysteries, domestic dramas, cops-and-robbers tales, and historical thrillers that capture Hong Kong in all its dark glory. The result is every bit as eclectic, quirky, and delightful as the city they write about.
A Cover Art Project commissioned by Bleak House Books.
About the book
When CB’s dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. But a chance meeting with an artistic kid, the target of this group’s bullying, offers CB a peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that will push teen angst to the very limits. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that’s both haunting and hopeful.
A Cover Art Project commissioned by Bleak House Books.
About the book
Italo Calvino was only twenty-three when he first published this bold and imaginative novel. It tells the story of Pin, a cobbler's apprentice in a town on the Ligurian coast during World War II. He lives with his sister, a prostitute, and spends as much time as he can at a seedy bar where he amuses the adult patrons. After a mishap with a Nazi soldier, Pin becomes involved with a band of partisans. Calvino's portrayal of these characters, seen through the eyes of a child, is not only a revealing commentary on the Italian resistance but an insightful coming-of-age story.
Updated to include changes from Calvino's definitive Italian edition, previously censored passages, and his newly translated, unabridged preface, in which Calvino brilliantly critiques and places into historical context his own youthful work.
The Path to the Spiders' Nests is animated by the formidable imagination that has made Italo Calvino one of the most respected writers of our time.
© 2024 Kong Chun Nga, Kitty