The wonder years

Hong Kong calling
Born Cheung Yin in Shanghai in 1937, Xi Xi migrated to Hong Kong with her family in the 1950s. That same decade, she began writing about the city's cultural and historical complexities, combining lyrical and poetic styles in a humorous, playful manner. Her stories explored themes of identity and cultural memory, with Hong Kong's vibrant streets, crowded alleys and bustling neighborhoods frequently providing the backdrop.

Some of her best-known works include the novel My City: A Hong Kong Story (1979), which inspired the Fruit Chan movie My City (2015); and The Teddy Bear Chronicles, a series of essays about the soft toys Xi Xi began making in 2005 to improve the mobility of her right hand, after cancer treatments left her with nerve damage.