In this deeply personal episode, we explore Overseas Bride, a short story by Wong Yi that captures the emotional toll of migration, language loss, and the fragile ties between love and belonging. Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s shifting identity, the story asks: What does it mean to leave home when home is a language?

Wong Yi reads an excerpt in Cantonese (followed by the whole story English), and joins Julia for a conversation about:

• Mother tongue as sacrifice – Why losing Cantonese can feel more devastating than physical displacement.
• Marriage as escape – How the story subverts romantic tropes with a pragmatic proposal.
• Hong Kong’s cultural paradoxes – Is the city truly a "cultural desert," or a place of vibrant artistic resilience?
• Writing in Cantonese vs. English – The challenges and joys of weaving colloquial idioms into literary fiction.

Featured work:

• Overseas Bride by Wong Yi (trans. Jennifer Feeley) – Read the story here.
• Companion essay: Mother Tongue Overseas – Wong Yi’s reflections on the story’s global resonance. Read here.

Where to Find Wong Yi: Follow her on Instagram @wongyiwrites

Challenge for listeners: Can you spot the theme linking this month's "Local Linguo" Cantonese phrase with the ones featured in Episodes #1 and #2? Tell us on Instagram @hongkonglitclub!

Subscribe for next month’s episode with Dr Antony Huen.

Host: Julia Besnard