Jessie Lau is a writer, freelance journalist, editor & artist
I’m an independent storyteller covering human rights, politics and culture with a transnational feminist perspective. Now based in London, I’ve also spent time in Beijing, California and Hong Kong, where I was born and raised. Over the past decade, my stories have appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, BBC, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, New Statesman, Quartz, The Nation, Mekong Review, openDemocracy, Channel 4 News, CNN and elsewhere.
Selected stories
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 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.
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
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
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
Hong Kong Is Still Waiting for Its Feminist Uprising
Women and girls in the ongoing protest movement are up against a deeply unequal society
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
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