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
Deported to a Country You Can’t Remember
Former child refugee Phoeun You was paroled from California’s San Quentin State Prison in 2021–only to be deported to Cambodia. He’s free, but can’t return to the only home he remembers
I Was a Chinese Protester. Here’s Why I Risked My Freedom
Speaking over an encrypted messaging app, “Zhao” reflected on the demonstrations and the young people powering them
Chinese Students Are At The Forefront Of Anti-Lockdown Protests
Young people in China are finding their political awakening
China's silenced feminist: How Sophia Huang Xueqin went missing
WATCH: BBC Eye investigates the disappearance of Sophia Huang Xueqin, a high-profile journalist who kick-started China’s #MeToo
Hong Kong's embattled gender movement is coming under fire amid Beijing's national security crackdown
With new leader, the future for progressive politics looks more challenging - for feminists in Hong Kong, it was already bleak
The End Game of China’s Zero-Covid Policy Nightmare
As most of the world decides to live with the virus, China is doubling down on a strategy to crush it. But at what cost?
Facing censorship at home, Chinese feminists are sounding the alarm over Peng Shuai abroad
Amid crackdowns on #MeToo whistleblowers, Chinese feminists in the UK and US are creating communities to fight against sexism and racism
‘Patriots Only’: Hong Kong’s New Election System in Action
Changes to Hong Kong’s election system, as well as the overarching national security law, have all but killed any formal political opposition.
Why tennis star Peng Shuai’s #MeToo allegation is such a threat to China’s leaders
Her accusation exposes systemic sexism and threatens the Communist Party’s legitimacy, Chinese feminists say
How the Chinese Communist Party is policing the past to secure its future
What a “historical nihilism hotline” and a new party resolution tell us about Xi Jinping’s vision for China
How a Taiwan influencer raised €140K for a Lithuanian ‘crisis pregnancy centre’
After Lithuania sent COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, Jill Chang inadvertently directed her followers to a controversial ‘crisis pregnancy centre’ in Vilnius
Beijing is having trouble selling its citizens on a partnership with the Taliban
China’s propaganda machinery has been working in overdrive to convince Chinese people that partnering with the Taliban isn’t as problematic as it seems
Will new Olympics rules exclude or include transgender athletes?
Backlash against transgender and non-binary competitors in Tokyo has highlighted the problems preventing inclusion in sports at all levels
‘The world has become bigger’: fighting for trans rights in Hong Kong
Despite its cosmopolitanism, Hong Kong society still holds conservative views on gender and sexuality. But a new generation is changing this.
Post-National Security Law, Hong Kong Struggles to Remember Tiananmen
For the second year in a row, the customary June 4 vigil has been banned by authorities.
Why Martin Lee’s Arrest Is Such a Worrying Sign
For many, the arrest and conviction of Hong Kong’s “father of democracy” signal a cataclysmic shift in the city’s political climate.
Meet the Hong Kong Sign Language Group Translating Politics and Rights
A grassroots organization is working to boost the deaf community’s ability to take part in Hong Kong’s most important political debates
Myanmar’s Women Are on the Front Lines Against the Junta
Protesters are using the military's fear of women against it
Hong Kong’s Crackdown Moves With Dizzying Speed
The events of the last week spell the end of any formal political opposition in Hong Kong.