"Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin has everything. Except a pulse."

That's the hook of Julie Chan is Dead — and this book is absolutely unhinged. I devoured this darkly hilarious satire about a young woman who steps into her deceased twin sister's influencer life. Think of Yellowface meets Bunny - an immersive, fast-pace thriller with a dash of horror exploring the ins and outs of influencer culture and what it does to your head. I could not put it down.

When I found out Liann Zhang was coming to Hong Kong for the International Literary Festival in March 2026, I had to get her on the show. Despite a packed schedule, she squeezed in time to chat—and she was exactly what I hoped: approachable, funny, warm, and oddly sane for someone who wrote a book this chaotic. As well as going into depth about how she landed her book deal, we talk about the importance of finding a critique group, being on the cusp of Gen-Z and millenial, Liann's real-life stint as a "skinfluencer" and what is next for her.

About Liann Zhang: Second-generation Chinese Canadian author, former skincare content creator, and debut novelist. Julie Chan Is Dead is an instant international bestseller and was longlisted for Canada Reads 2026.

Website | Instagram @theliannz

Follow Hong Kong Lit Club: Instagram @hongkonglitclub 🎧 RSS | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

In this episode, Julia and Emma Pei Yin continue their conversation about Emma's debut historical novel, When Sleeping Women Wake.

Emma reflects on how readers in Hong Kong have connected with the book's themes in a way that feels different from her Australian audience, and how writing the novel lead her to rediscover a side of the city she'd missed growing up.

She also opens up about her editorial agency, Yinfluence, which she founded to support underrepresented writers, including Asian Australian and queer voices. The conversation explores who gets to tell which stories in fiction, and what happens when the industry leans toward familiar narratives.

On the craft side, Emma shares her writing habits, her unexpected relationship with writer's block (or rather, "option overload"), and what she's learned from working on her second book.

A thoughtful conversation about storytelling, representation, and the stories worth telling.

Follow Emma Pei Yin on Instagram | Website

Listen to all episodes of Hong Kong Lit Club on RSS | Spotify | Apple Podcasts & Follow on Instagram

When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin follows Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, 1941. Not generals, not politicians, but women fighting to reunite while the world collapses around them. This novels shows the quiet heroism of everyday people. This books tells the stories that History books do not. This book matters.

Emma launched this novel at Bookazine Social in November 2025. I was deeply honoured when she invited me to host.

I recorded the night—you will hear Emma answering my questions with wit and charm, the audience discovering something beautiful, and the kind of conversation that happens when people actually feel a book.

This is that episode. Enjoy, and don't forget to listen to Part 2, where Emma talks even further about her writing process and reads the opening chapter of When Sleeping Women Wake.

Guest: Emma Pei Yin - Find on her Website | Instagram

About her: Emma Pei Yin is an Australian-Chinese writer and editor. Her debut novel, When Sleeping Women Wake, has been published globally, translated into multiple languages, and awarded many prizes.

She is the founder of yinfluence editorial, and also co-hosts Served With Rice Poddy

Host: Julia Besnard

Follow Hong Kong Lit Club: Website | Instagram