Kate Whitehead

Recently confirmed as the global birthplace of chocolate, Ecuador is also seeking to regain its laurels as the world’s finest producer.

‘My mother was a typical Asian parent. She lost her dream because of the Cultural Revolution,’ says Yu Dan Shi. ‘I became the product of high expectations’ In 2008, Yu Dan Shi was 32 and a successful marketing officer for a global tech company. She had left her native Shanghai over a decade previously to…

The musical artist found fame after his songs appeared on television shows and streaming services End of empire My mum is from Singapore and my dad, a barrister, is from Cheshire, in England. They met at a party in Hong Kong. I was born at the Matilda hospital (on The Peak) in 1984. My elder brother,…

Philippe Grelon passed on his passion for sailing to his family, especially his youngest son, Cosmas When Philippe Grelon was a young boy growing up in Lille, in northern France, he dreamed of sailing. Aged eight, he constructed a makeshift boat complete with wooden mast and sail, and tested it out in the garden. “I…

Hong Kong’s literary festival offers a packed programme of foreign and local writers. Kate Whitehead takes her pick

Siak drew from her own life and her family story for her debut novel, The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds, after battle with illness left her at her ‘lowest point’