Who am I?
I’m an independent writer, editor, multi-platform journalist and lecturer who takes an intersectional feminist approach to my work. Having grown up in Hong Kong, spent several formative years in California, and then moved to London by way of Beijing—I’ve always gravitated towards stories that explore identity, belonging, and the legacies of empire. Now a freelancer with more than a decade of journalism experience, my work covers the intersections of human rights, politics and culture, often with a focus on colonialism in China and Asia.
My writing, reportage and films have appeared in The Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, CNN, Jacobin, Nikkei Asia, The Economist, New Statesman, openDemocracy, WIRED magazine, Foreign Policy, The Nation, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Quartz, The Telegraph, Novara Media, Prospect Magazine, The Spectator, Mekong Review, Times Literary Supplement and many other publications.I was shortlisted for the Women in Journalism Georgina Henry Award for Innovation and the Philip Hoare Prize for international creative non-fiction.
Ay present, I teach journalism part-time at Kingston University and I’m a judge for the upcoming Orwell Prize for Political Writing. I’ve published op-eds, research, reviews, fiction, travel guides, annual reports, translations and personal essays. In addition to taking on creative projects as an illustrator, musician and photographer, I’ve also worked on projects for a variety of think tanks, NGOs and other organisations including Media Defence and Limelight Foundation.
Media experience
In London, I’ve held investigative reporting and producing roles with the BBC World Service and Channel 4 News, in addition to working in video news at the Associated Press. I fronted the BBC Eye documentary “China’s Silenced Feminist” and executive-produced the Channel 4 News film “China’s Feminist Fightback.” After Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong, I also spent a year reporting on the city’s transformation for The Diplomat. Previously, I was based in Hong Kong as a staff reporter with the South China Morning Post, writing about my city in the aftermath of the Umbrella Revolution. My reporting has been recognised by the World Association of News Publishers, the California College Media Association and others.
Translator Magazine
I serve as contributing editor at Translator, a London-based magazine that translates journalism from around the world. We collaborate with editors, translators, writers and publishers around the world to curate and translate journalism and non-fiction writing from beyond the Anglosphere, and explore the role of language itself in shaping the world we live in.
New Tide Media Network
I founded New Tide, Britain’s only network strengthening East and Southeast Asian perspectives in anglophone media. ESEA is a vast and complex region of huge importance on the global stage, yet journalists from ESEA and experts who specialise in the area are highly underrepresented in anglophone newsrooms and organisations, particularly in the UK. Unlike in other parts of the world, the British media ecosystem has few infrastructures specifically supporting ESEA journalists. We hope to change that.
NüVoices Collective
An advocate for intersectional feminism, I edit and serve on the board at NüVoices, a US-based non-profit supporting women and gender minorities working on China subjects. I co-founded our magazine featuring underrepresented voices and manage its editorial team as well as online operations. I also help co-host our podcast, which has been downloaded over 71,400 times since it launched in 2021.
Public speaking
I’m an experienced presenter, moderator and speaker who has appeared on broadcast, in-person and online programs hosted by Chatham House, BBC World News, BBC Woman’s Hour, Oxford University, Channel 4 News and many more. At the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, I’ve spoken about a range of topics from extractive journalism and China reporting to championing diversity in media:
Teaching and Education
At present, I work part-time as a lecturer at Kingston University, where I teach journalism to undergraduates and postgraduates studying media and communications. Over the years, I’ve also taught workshops on freelance pitching and writing, in addition to guest speaking at various universities and think tanks. I spent a year as a mentor at Arts Emergency Now, a charity supporting under-resourced youth aspiring to enter creative careers.
““I am grateful for Jessie’s outstanding support and mentoring during my time on the BA Journalism & Media Course at Kingston University.””
An interdisciplinary scholar interested in interrogating colonial histories and the rhetoric of nationhood, I hold a MSc in International History from the London School of Economics, an LLM in International Relations from Peking University, and a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley. During my studies at Cal, I volunteered as a line editor at San Quentin News, an inmate-produced newspaper run out of California’s San Quentin State Prison. I’ve also taken part in various training programmes in the sectors of media and publishing. I’m a graduate of the HarperCollins Author Academy, a competitive and free creative writing programme for promising writers from underrepresented backgrounds, and completed a trauma reporting training organised by the Rory Peck Trust and Trauma Work Ltd.
Art
I’m also a visual artist, musician, dancer and photographer. I co-wrote an original song and recorded vocals for the theatre project “Trouble” – a play that was read in the Omnibus Theatre in London. My illustration and photography have also appeared in gal-dem, Mekong Review, Zolima CityMag and the South China Morning Post, among others. If you have ideas for projects, do reach out - I’d love to brainstorm. Here’s a selection of my visual work:
