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Hong Kong Needs a Literary Museum

Literature has, ironically, become largely invisible in an age of almost universal literacy. Whereas literature, especially in its oral mode, used to enjoy wide currency, literary education now suffers from ghettoization, indifference and neglect. The lack of literary training not only creates a barrier to self-expression and communication within and across communities, but also defeats the efforts to develop the creative industries V no scriptwriter or storyteller can afford to ignore the rich resources of the literary repertoire.

Writing is actually something that comes naturally, as when people scribble to escape the boredom of a long meeting. Novels are read, and poetry written even in prison. That we now need a literary museum to promote public interest indeed illustrates the sorry state of literary education. To refuse to address this need is to give up on literature. Individuals have run, in the face of high rents and at their own expense, bookshops and literary salons in order to promote interest in literature. But this is not enough. We need more sustained efforts to create long-lasting and far-reaching effects. We need a public space that enhances, through Hong Kong literature, our understanding about our identity, our society and our past in relation to the wider world.

Writing stories, plays, lyrics, critical essays and even publicity material involves literary training. Literature links us to other forms of art. The West Kowloon Cultural District (WDCD) would not be complete without a literary museum. Perhaps a literary museum or a cultural district might have been redundant, if literary and art education had been built on a much firmer foundation. The WKCD is based on the assumption that it is necessary to secure public funding specifically to nurture or revitalise Hong Kong art and culture. Can art and culture be nurtured or revitalised without literary education?

The study and promotion of Hong Kong literature has been underdeveloped. The creation of the Hong Kong Literary Museum will provide a forum for greater public participation in the production of Hong Kong literature.

Hong Kong needs a literary museum that provides a public space for the discussion and dissemination of Hong Kong literature. A literary museum requires relatively little space and resources V a separate building with exhibition rooms, lecture rooms, activity rooms, a bookshop and a café. The idea of a literary museum had actually been floated before the early proposal for WKCD was scrapped amid controversy over financing models in 2006. Now that the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) has adopted a set of planning design principles for phased development, we urge that space and resources be earmarked for the creation of the Hong Kong Literary Museum.

We the undersigned propose that the Hong Kong Literary Museum be established in the WKCD, and urge the WKCDA to put this proposal on the agenda and carry out consultation and design study at an appropriate time.

---The Hong Kong Literary Museum Initiative

The undersigned: The Hong Kong Literary Museum Initiative

Dung Kai CheungёіТі]Convener^, Yip Faiёч, Chan Chi-takіЇw, Pun Kwok-ling LawrenceпкЖF, Liu Wai TongщЕ, Tang Siu WaHpм, Ma Ka FaiЁaч, Mirana May Szetoq{БЁ, Horace Wan Kan ChinіЇ і

AdvisersG

Liu YichangBHФJ, Leo Ou-fan LeeхЪл, Leung Ping KwanзЄГv, Chung LingБйВ, Martha CheungiЇ\є, Ngan Shun KauГCЇВ鈎, Kwan Mong NamГцЪn, Terence ChangiЁ`І


єьБpёpWіж(цєЗ) List of First Signatories (in alphabetical order) :

эЁ}MBэMїіBэеъBэwВB_qBdєыЄiBjCBCBХВщюBMOBїduBfjЦBхpЁ}BхУїіBхЁ}BЁІQьBуеqBуyтBЁїУЇBЁїyЁBщaЄВBЄLеІNBЄLDёsBPЯБBsцBЄчЁШЮіBBЖBBЄчBJІQІB\YЄBЁіЗBJВBLЕEBФСB}ъжBKьчBijKBiЄГЕvBі\廸ГтBіЇlBіЇlБBіЇCBіЇBіЇaBіЇДЁBіЇкІyBіЇІMфBіЇДЙBіЇіBіЇДRSBіЇДRЄвBіЇxBіЇзBіЇЕКBіЇУШBіЇf^BіЇzBі\lЄFBз@УBзеDBзєСXBXnB^BіёЦъBZlBдІЁvBіБьАBіБцBІцLpBёлМ_BHsєСBАтпBААЄYBА^aBАєСіBААйMBАRВBАRЫBАУШB^ДRgBцєХьBiъgBьBеАRBЁУBёЇGBpДvЫBІЄцBАdHxBФРBпЁBxBпёЦГэBЪїЄeBЪАіЕBHеїBHїBHЄЫАBBGBБВеiBБВЖБчBїclBБйкjBБйеBБйВВBВEВEBВїШdBБъДRЇ]BсKiЙBГГНBГQІBГiсBДІQЄв
Katherine Isobel Baxter, Ali Behdad, Michael Berry, Verner Bickley, Paul A. Bove, Yomi Braester, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Chan Kit Wa, Anita, Chen Kuan-Hsing, Esther M.K. Cheung]iьg^, Robert Chi]ц@s^, Fred Y.L. Chiu]CG^, Fah Hing Chong]ІшШїі^, Christopher Connery, Samantha Culp, Kirk A. Denton, Arif Dirlik, John Erni, Jennifer Feeley, Rossella Ferrari, Carlos Prado-Fonts, Henry Giroux, Lawrence Grossberg, Hala Youssef Halim, Otto Heim, Elaine Yee Lin Ho]уєє^, Eliza Ho, Josephine Ho, Michel Hockx, Joseph Jenkins, Douglas Kerr, Lucas Klein, Kathleen L. Komar, Jon Kowallis, Julia Kuehn, Ho Chi Kwan, Fiona Yuk-wa Law, Eugenia Lean, Arthur Leung, Janny Leung, Leung Mee Ping, Chaoyang Liao, Ping-hui Liao (щf) , Wah Guan Lim, Françoise Lionnet, David Palumbo-Liu, Louis Lor, David Wong Louie, Jean Ma, Gina Marchetti, Bonnie McDougall, Yoshiko Nakano]іЕl^, Kenny NG (dк[) , Page Richards, Lisa Rofel, Madeleine Marie Slavick (дЦєы), Shu-mei Shih, Ming SING, Leslie Sklair, Alvin So, Jon Solomon]Дхw^, Weijie Song(єЄN) , Imre Szeman, Tee Kim Tong]iАA^, Cynthia SK Tsui, Daniel Vukovich, Rob Wilson, Gabriel Wu(吴Дv), Esther C.M. Yau, Winnie L.M. Yee, Jessica Yeung

чєc Organisations:

Comparative Literature, School of Humanities, University of Hong Kong
Center for Cultural Studies, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
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