Jessie Lau is a London-based writer and award-winning journalist from Hong Kong
I tell stories about identity and empire with a feminist approach. I’ve spent more than a decade reporting from Asia, Europe and the United States for The Guardian, BBC, LA Review of Books, The Economist, CNN and many more publications. Recently shortlisted for the 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, I’m a judge for the 2026 Orwell Prize in Political Writing. I also teach journalism part-time as a lecturer at Kingston University.
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 the magazine at NüVoices, a China-focused feminist nonprofit, and contributing editor at Translator, a publication of translated journalism. Commission and pitch me!
Featured stories
Hong Kong Police Arrest 53 Pro-Democrats on Subversion Charges
The charges stem from a plan to win a majority in Hong Kong’s legislature and use that power to veto the government’s budget.
Hong Kong's democracy movement was crushed in 2020. But the spirit of resistance survives
Solidarity persists, under the most stringent conditions and amid palpable fear
“Young people feel hopeless”: the Thai protesters revolting against authoritarian rule
The country’s youth-led protests are dividing the nation
Banning WeChat will destroy a lone bridge between the US and China
WeChat is an instrument of censorship and surveillance. But, for Chinese Americans, it was also a way to connect
Who is the real Mulan?
The current film has sparked a fierce fight over Mulan’s soul: what she should represent, both as a symbol for women and for Chinese-ness
Why the US-China Rivalry Is Thwarting Transnational Solidarity
The Black Lives Matter and Hong Kong democracy movement can learn a lot from each other
How Beijing’s new security law is already changing lives
For many Hongkongers, China’s tightening grip is forcing them to ask the question: should I stay or go?
From London I watch the crisis engulfing Hong Kong
Watching from afar as Beijing passes the security law that tightens its grip on the territory, I feel grief and helplessness
Why the Taiwanese are thinking more about their identity
Renewed resistance to China and successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic has led Taiwan to re-examine ideas about its identity – and its future
The Crisis in Wuhan ‘Forced Me to Become Political’
As the city prepares to reopen after two months of lockdown, a resident shares why she’ll never see Chinese society the same way again
Hong Kong Is Still Waiting for Its Feminist Uprising
Women and girls in the ongoing protest movement are up against a deeply unequal society
China’s slow response to coronavirus has shown the weakness of its centralised model
In a system where power is concentrated at the top, local officials are not incentivised to take decisive action
Hong Kong’s Minorities Face Racism From Police and Protesters
Ethnic tensions are coming to the fore, but many minorities find solidarity with activists
Hong Kong's Summer of Unrest
Five years after the Umbrella Movement, Hong Kong is once again in the midst of revolution and reclaiming
To win minorities’ support, China offers places at boarding school
It is too much of a shock for some
China’s war on Christmas hasn’t deterred kids from sending thousands of letters to Santa
Santa’s rising popularity is a stark contrast to China’s ongoing war on Christmas
Hong Kong, 20 Years After the Handover, Part IV: Dear Hong Kong: An Elegy For A City
There was a time when Hong Kong author Xu Xi thought she would never say goodbye to the city she calls home.
The Ghost Villages: A Guide to Hong Kong’s Abandoned Hakka Settlements
Each village is a time capsule showing a sliver of a forgotten life and a reminder of the city’s roots
Rooftop slums are a stark reminder of Hong Kong’s social and housing problems
Thousands live in illegal subdivided residential units, yet those on rooftops are particularly vulnerable to eviction because of their visibility
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