Speaker: Frederico Vidal, Visiting PhD Candidate in Comparative Literature, HKU
Respondent: Hongwei Bao, Associate Professor in Media Studies, University of Nottingham
Moderator: Alvin K. Wong, Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Literature, HKU
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 4.30 pm Hong Kong Time
Venue: Room 436, Run Run Shaw Tower, HKU and on Zoom
Despite its heavily explicit content, the sexual episodes within 北京故事 (1996) are not present in mere service of shock value. These erotic descriptions – a trademark of 同志文学, a subversive genre circulated online – advance the plot and hold symbolic significance, laying bare the characters’ motivations and frame of mind. Aside from this, these scenes further advocate for the humanisation of homosexuals, which at the time of writing the novel was still deemed a crime under the Hooliganism Law and a disease under the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders.
By exploring the broader significance of these lurid scenes, it is possible to look beyond the initial disquiet caused by the novel and delve into the elements that perpetuated its characters and narrative beyond the decade of its inception.
Frederico Vidal is a PhD student in Gender Studies at NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal. He has conducted research on Queer China through literature, with a particular focus on 同志文学. He holds a scholarship from the Scientific and Cultural Centre of Macau and the Foundation for Science and Technology. His MA thesis on the sexually explicit novel 北京故事 (1996) earned him the Orient Foundation Award and the Jorge Álvares Foundation Scholarship.
For updates on future events hosted by the Center for the Study of Globalization and Cultures, please visit https://csgchku.wordpress.com/
Follow us on:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csgc.hku
– Instagram: @csgc.hku
