Jessie Lau is a London-based writer and award-winning journalist from Hong Kong
I tell stories about identity and power with a feminist approach. I’ve spent over a decade reporting from Asia, Europe and the US for The Guardian, BBC, The Financial Times, LA Review of Books, The Economist, CNN and many more publications. Shortlisted for the inaugural Philip Hoare Prize for global creative non-fiction, I’ve also been recognised for my reporting by the World Association of News Publishers, among others. Now teaching journalism as a lecturer at Kingston University, I’m also a judge for the 2026 Orwell Prize in Political Writing.
Passionate about building platforms for marginalised communities, I founded New Tide, Britain’s only East and Southeast Asian journalism network, which was nominated for the Georgina Henry Award for Innovation. I’m also head of magazine editorial at NüVoices, a China-focused feminist nonprofit, and contributing editor at Translator, a publication of translated journalism. I’m open to commissions and pitches.
Featured stories
Ripe for change? Vibrant Hong Kong fruit market faces growing challenges after 103 years
Yau Ma Tei’s fruit market remains as vibrant as ever, but its future is becoming increasingly uncertain
Incarceration to convocation
An ex-con turned UC Berkeley researcher, Murillo is one of thousands of formerly incarcerated persons struggling to re-enter society.