About

I’m a feminist writer, journalist, editor and artist. 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 colonialism.

Now a freelancer with a decade of journalism experience, my reporting covers the intersection of human rights, politics and culture, often with a focus on China and Asia. I use storytelling to amplify voices from marginalised communities, interrogate mainstream narratives, and scrutinise systems of oppression. Here are some stories I’m particularly proud of:

’Looty’: How a dog stolen from China sparked a British luxury craze and became a symbol of imperialism – CNN Style, 2023

One former Cambodian child refugee’s journey through America’s prison-to-deportation pipeline – The Nation, 2023

Hong Kong is still waiting for its feminist uprising – The Nation, 2020

China’s war on Christmas hasn’t deterred kids from sending thousands of letters to Santa – Quartz, 2018

‘It’s difficult to survive’: China’s LGBTQ+ advocates face jail and forced confession – The Guardian, 2024

Myanmar’s women are on the frontlines against the junta – Foreign Policy, 2021

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. After Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong, I also spent a year reporting on the city’s transformation for The Diplomat. My reporting has been recognised by the World Association of News Publishers, the California College Media Association and others. In addition to journalism, I also take on freelance projects as an illustrator, musician, photographer and copyeditor. I’ve worked on op-eds, research, reviews, fiction, travel guides, annual reports, translations and personal essays.

An advocate for intersectional feminism, I serve as a board member at NüVoices, a collective supporting women and gender minorities working on China subjects. I’m also editor-in-chief and co-founder of NüStories, our magazine featuring underrepresented voices. In addition to managing our social media, I co-host our podcast, which has been downloaded 71,400 times since it launched in 2021.

Having grown up speaking English and Cantonese, I also have Mandarin and some Japanese. 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. 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 (where I was a news editor and writer for The Daily Californian). I was also formerly a line editor at San Quentin News, an inmate-produced newspaper run out of California’s San Quentin State Prison.

In recent years, I’ve taken on consulting, research, copywriting and editing projects for non-profits, think tanks and other organisations. Some of my past clients include Media Defence, Limelight Foundation, Papergang Theatre and The Heinrich Böll Foundation. Reach out by email to learn more! You can also find me on Telegram @laujessie and Signal @laujessie.22