https://www.scmp.com/rss/325311/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Celebrated novelist Eileen Chang Ai-ling was not only a film fan, but she also worked as a film critic and wrote movie scripts. Chang’s own novellas were often considered difficult to adapt for the screen. “Her stories are beautiful because of their language and details, not their plots,” critic Paul Fonoroff wrote in the South China Morning Post. Nevertheless, the great Hong Kong director Ann Hui On-wah has tried three times, with Love in a Fallen City (1984), Eighteen Springs (1997) and Love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The way Stephen Selby tells it, Guiguzi (鬼谷子) sounds like the ancient Chinese version of Dale Carnegie’s enduring self-help book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Given its contents and message, it should have been a text for the ages. After all, whether ancient, modern, postmodern, Eastern or Western, many of us still need to kiss up to wayward bosses and stroke their egos if we want to advance our careers – not to mention ancient despots who could chop off your head for saying the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347806/how-win-friends-and-influence-people-ancient-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347806/how-win-friends-and-influence-people-ancient-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette has been one of the biggest TV sensations of the year so far. The show, which explores the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr, son of former US president John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette, has left a new generation swooning over the 1990s “It” couple, who died in a plane crash in 1999. The show has taken some creative liberties in its portrayal of the pair and has... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347934/meet-rosemarie-terenzio-close-friend-john-f-kennedy-jr-and-carolyn-bessette?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347934/meet-rosemarie-terenzio-close-friend-john-f-kennedy-jr-and-carolyn-bessette?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre Roger Vivier is one of the most celebrated shoemakers of the 20th century. The late founder of the eponymous label, now helmed by Italian designer Gherardo Felloni, was responsible for iconic creations such as the Belle Vivier and the Virgule, or comma, heel. Roger Vivier: Heritage and Imagination, a monograph published by Rizzoli, celebrates that storied legacy by highlighting five thematic “salons”: Le Salon de l’Héritage, Le Salon des Formes, Le Salon de l’Ornement, Le Salon de la Célébrité... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3347526/shoemaker-roger-viviers-forward-looking-vision-celebrated-monograph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3347526/shoemaker-roger-viviers-forward-looking-vision-celebrated-monograph?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters The skeleton of famed French musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan may have been found in front of a church altar in the Dutch city of Maastricht, church officials and an archaeologist said on Wednesday. Workers ‌discovered a grave containing human remains beneath tiles after part of the floor of St Peter and Paul Church subsided in February, triggering a race to identify the skeleton through DNA testing. “This has truly become a top-level investigation, in which we want to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347910/lost-remains-french-musketeer-dartagnan-may-have-been-found-dutch-church?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347910/lost-remains-french-musketeer-dartagnan-may-have-been-found-dutch-church?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:12:27 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Carolyn Bessette was thrust into the limelight when she began dating and eventually married John F. Kennedy Jr, the only son of former president John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy. In July 1999, just three years after their wedding, JFK Jr piloted and tragically crashed a plane that killed him, Bessette – and Bessette’s older sister Lauren. Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series Love Story dramatises the whirlwind romance between JFK Jr and the former Calvin Klein publicist and 90s style... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347029/who-was-lauren-bessette-carolyn-bessettes-sister-who-also-died-tragic-plane-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347029/who-was-lauren-bessette-carolyn-bessettes-sister-who-also-died-tragic-plane-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Mavis Teo Mavis Teo Despite the high crime rates that dogged Johor Bahru from the 1980s to the 2000s, the closest Malaysian city kept luring Singaporeans with its cheap seafood and groceries – and even petrol. The crowds still descend, but these days the capital of Johor state draws visitors for a variety of other reasons. Even in-the-know foreign tourists to Singapore slip across the 1km-long causeway for a change of scene – undeterred by the traffic jams. The five-minute ride on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau train,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:37 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times By Bereket Alemayehu Kim Wan-jun, who calls himself a “soju artist”, published the English translation of his book, How to Drink Soju: A Guide to K-Drinking Culture & Games, last month. The 300-page book provides an in-depth look at the history of soju, a Korean distilled alcoholic drink, while exploring its cultural significance and the customs surrounding it. Kim, a self-proclaimed upcycling artist known as Funnyjun, has been documenting South Korea’s drinking culture since 2014 and sharing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346853/drinking-soju-south-korea-english-guide-will-teach-you-rules-you-may-not-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346853/drinking-soju-south-korea-english-guide-will-teach-you-rules-you-may-not-know?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo From around the turn of the century, a revived Confucianism was all the rage. Mainland Chinese academia heavily promoted it. Beijing politicised it as compatible with communist ideology. For state propaganda departments, Confucianism was repackaged as a cultural product for foreign consumption. That wave of interest subsequently died down, along with the closure of many Confucian Institutes around the world. So why study Confucius today? Well, why read any great philosopher? But there is a more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346837/rescuing-key-confucian-text-centuries-ignominy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346837/rescuing-key-confucian-text-centuries-ignominy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Karen Cheung Karen Cheung What happens when the author of a bestselling memoir about working as a courier in mainland China, and a Hong Kong videographer who moonlights as a food delivery rider, meet? They do not immediately launch into a philosophical discussion about art and labour. Instead, they compare different vehicles’ battery lifespans, the daily distances they travel, and the risk of traffic accidents on the job. “It’s very common in [mainland] China,” Hu Anyan says. “And especially so with food delivery,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346516/one-wrote-bestselling-book-about-being-courier-other-made-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346516/one-wrote-bestselling-book-about-being-courier-other-made-film?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Christina Applegate is where she has spent many listless, painful nights over the last year working on her memoir: in bed. She passes most of her days inside a bedroom of her home in Laurel Canyon, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles in the Hollywood Hills. It is already not a great day when we connect over video conference in late February – no day is free from the exhaustion and symptoms of multiple sclerosis, the autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with in 2021. This particular afternoon, she... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346303/christina-applegates-life-story-horrible-stuff-some-fun-then-awful-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346303/christina-applegates-life-story-horrible-stuff-some-fun-then-awful-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Joyce Yip Joyce Yip In a Chai Wan industrial building in late February, food designer Alison Tan Jia-qi was instructing a room of 20 Hong Kong diners on how to eat rice with a pat of Échiré, an artisanal French butter. “She perched a sliver of butter on top of the rice. From one of the sachets of soy sauce that came with the convenience store bento boxes … [she] squeezed a single drop.” Tan’s commands were met with a chuckling crowd, tickled by the stingy amount prescribed. Tan was reading an excerpt from Asako... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346095/read-or-eat-why-not-both-hong-kong-book-clubs-and-events-pair-dining-reading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346095/read-or-eat-why-not-both-hong-kong-book-clubs-and-events-pair-dining-reading?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:45:10 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Sarah J. Maas, author of the wildly popular A Court of Thorns and Roses novels, just recently announced not one but two new books in her bestselling romantic fantasy – aka romantasy – series. During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas told host Alex Cooper that “the story that was finally ready to come out of me was big – really, really big”. She went on to reveal details of her new books, saying the story of ACOTAR would be continued across the two new novels and a third... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346107/meet-sarah-j-maas-author-court-thorns-and-roses-romantasy-novels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346107/meet-sarah-j-maas-author-court-thorns-and-roses-romantasy-novels?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa American comedian Larry David’s oldest daughter, Cazzie David, just published a collection of essays titled Delusions: Of Grandeur, of Romance, of Progress. In an interview with Vogue, she described her latest publication as a “prolonged existential crisis in essays”. The essays, David told Vogue, were inspired by the development of a “paralysing fear” of being in charge of her own fate. The 31-year-old scriptwriter and actress previously published a bestselling collection of personal essays in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345927/meet-larry-davids-daughter-cazzie-david-who-just-published-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345927/meet-larry-davids-daughter-cazzie-david-who-just-published-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui “I feel they are about to reclaim this space,” says the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Hernan Diaz as he pauses along Battery Path in Hong Kong’s central business district to look at the tentacles of banyan trees gripping the walls like an intimate scaffolding. In the eyes of the New York-based writer, the contrast between lush vegetation and glass-and-steel monoliths illuminates the fragility of man-made symbols of power. “It is not entirely clear who is trespassing on whom.” Diaz is on a walk... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345713/pulitzer-prize-winner-hernan-diaz-power-narratives-and-beautiful-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345713/pulitzer-prize-winner-hernan-diaz-power-narratives-and-beautiful-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden From the 18th century onwards, female authors gained unprecedented prominence, from Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters in the West to the rise of significant women writers in Qing-era China (1644-1912). The increasing prominence of female Chinese authors was driven by Dream of the Red Chamber, an 18th-century masterpiece by Cao Xueqin, widely considered the pinnacle of Chinese fiction and one of the four great classical novels of Chinese history. Cao’s book was so important that a cottage... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3345850/china-qing-era-saw-rise-female-authors-poets-despite-broad-restrictions-women-arts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3345850/china-qing-era-saw-rise-female-authors-poets-despite-broad-restrictions-women-arts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Paul French Paul French You could be forgiven for thinking that the UK has gone samurai mad of late. Director Michihito Fujii’s Last Samurai Standing remains high up the Netflix UK chart, Penguin Books is enjoying a massive bestseller in Shotaro Ikenami’s multi-volume The Samurai Detectives, and the FX miniseries retelling of James Clavell’s Shogun (originally a 1975 novel) was a surprise hit and won various awards. The samurai-inspired Assassin’s Creed Shadows was the fastest-selling video game in Britain in 2025,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3345076/gripping-london-samurai-exhibition-explores-japans-warrior-class-and-cuts-through-myths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3345076/gripping-london-samurai-exhibition-explores-japans-warrior-class-and-cuts-through-myths?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung What happens when two artists fall in love? Here is an unlikely answer: a nugget is born, and a tubby one at that. The Adventures of Tubby Nugget: Escape from Nuggetville, a newly released graphic novel, is the result of a collaboration between illustrator Joshua Jackson and author Jenine Pastores. The pair met in 2015 when the then filmmakers were assigned to work on a short film called Heartsick. Today, they are still creating things together – only now, their canvas has shifted from screen to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer The Hong Kong International Literary Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year (March 1 to 8), marking a quarter of a century of bringing some of the most famous – and in some cases, most quirky – authors to the city. Among those with more than one story to tell have been: Bonnie Tsui: most recent book: On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters (2025) It was perhaps inevitable that Tsui would publish her 2020 book Why We Swim, which explores the global history and... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3344849/hkilfs-literary-legend-visits-through-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3344849/hkilfs-literary-legend-visits-through-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:16:56 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Mui Thomas is, by any measure, a remarkable woman. Now 33, she is believed to be the world’s fourth-oldest survivor of Harlequin ichthyosis. This extremely rare genetic disorder causes the body to be covered with thick plates of skin – a condition so severe that when Mui was born in Hong Kong in 1992, it was considered universally fatal. She has survived medical emergencies that would have killed lesser fighters. Despite her ongoing health struggles, she has become a rugby coach, a certified... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344406/parents-hong-kongs-girl-behind-face-share-their-story-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344406/parents-hong-kongs-girl-behind-face-share-their-story-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh It is seven years since Indian author Amitav Ghosh last published a novel. For many readers, he is a fiction writer best known for The Glass Palace (2000) and his Ibis trilogy comprising Sea of Poppies (2008), River of Smoke (2011) and Flood of Fire (2015). These are set against historically accurate moments during the British Empire, but are works of imagination. Like his readers, he says he thinks of himself as “primarily a novelist”. In more recent years, however, he has focused on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3343994/indian-author-amitav-ghosh-publishes-first-novel-7-years-why-so-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3343994/indian-author-amitav-ghosh-publishes-first-novel-7-years-why-so-long?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Charlotte Mellington recently made her acting debut in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, a loose film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 gothic novel. The 14-year-old breakout actress not only stars in one of this year’s buzziest films – she plays the younger version of Margot Robbie’s character, Catherine Earnshaw. Read on to learn more about the young actress who made her debut as one of the most famous literary heroines. Charlotte Mellington only has one other acting credit The young... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344111/meet-charlotte-mellington-who-plays-young-catherine-wuthering-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344111/meet-charlotte-mellington-who-plays-young-catherine-wuthering-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Legendary Hong Kong film director Li Han-hsiang is best known for stately historical dramas like the lavish Empress Wu Tse-tien (1963), but he also made important huangmei diao opera films. Originating in mainland China’s Hubei province, this folk opera style spawned massive 1960s box office hits. Notably, these productions were not filmed stage operas but fully formed cinematic experiences, akin to Hollywood musicals. Here we look at two very different huangmei diao films directed by Li. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Emerald Fennell is very much aware that her adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is going to anger and upset Brontë purists. In fact, the title of the movie is technically “Wuthering Heights” – quotation marks and all – to denote that this is something different. The director ditches major characters and changes many plot points. Charli XCX songs dominate the soundtrack, and costumes look like they came from a deranged child’s dollhouse. Perhaps the biggest difference between Fennell’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343868/why-does-hollywood-keep-remaking-stories-wuthering-heights-genre-has-audience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343868/why-does-hollywood-keep-remaking-stories-wuthering-heights-genre-has-audience?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:15:08 +0000 Lavender Au Lavender Au I WAS BORN in Guangzhou in 1979. In the 1980s and 90s, Guangzhou was a relatively special city in China. Many of my classmates had relatives in Hong Kong. It was more open, more connected to the outside world. People generally valued profit and were practically minded. The direct comparison with Hong Kong coupled with the continuous transmission of a kind of folk culture means that Guangdong has always had a very secular society. Even during the political movements of the 50s, 60s and 70s,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Book-to-screen adaptations are always hit-or-miss, and Wuthering Heights is no exception. The upcoming film by director Emerald Fennell, based on the novel of the same name by Emily Brontë, is one of the most controversial yet highly anticipated releases of 2026. Despite courting controversy over its hypersexualised tone, the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff (who is “dark-skinned” in the novel), and Margot Robbie’s seemingly period-inaccurate costumes as Catherine Earnshaw – Fennell’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343255/meet-emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-director-whos-also-actor-and-author?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343255/meet-emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-director-whos-also-actor-and-author?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:00:11 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 4/5 stars Released in time for Valentine’s Day, Emerald Fennell’s third film is being launched among a blitzkrieg of hype, focusing on Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, its highly photogenic stars. Usually, that is enough to make you wary. But Fennell’s take on Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights has the substance to back it up. Beautifully costumed, designed, shot and performed, the film is an impeccably made tale of doomed lovers, one that will bring a tear to the eye. Following... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342911/wuthering-heights-movie-review-margot-robbie-and-jacob-elordi-sizzle-modern-moorcore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342911/wuthering-heights-movie-review-margot-robbie-and-jacob-elordi-sizzle-modern-moorcore?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:00:19 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre Fashion photographer Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist, has been documenting Milan’s stylish residents and the city’s hidden gems for more than two decades. Now, his coffee-table book, simply titled Milano and published by Taschen, offers an overview of the city’s impeccably dressed denizens. Portraits and candid shots of anonymous Milanese vie for attention with those of illustrious ones such as Miuccia Prada, Luciano Barbera and the late Franca Sozzani. With a foreword by Giorgio Armani no... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3341817/milans-most-stylish-photographers-view-citys-best-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3341817/milans-most-stylish-photographers-view-citys-best-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:00:37 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Ysabelle Cheung is no stranger to writing. Before co-founding Hong Kong contemporary art gallery Property Holdings Development (PHD) Group in 2021, Cheung worked as a journalist for her entire career. “The day after I turned 30, I quit my job at the magazine,” says British-born, Hong Kong-based Cheung. “I had an early midlife crisis where I realised I’d been ignoring a part of me that was very important.” After stepping down as managing editor of Hong Kong-based magazine ArtAsiaPacific in 2019,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341810/author-ysabelle-cheung-puts-asian-women-front-and-centre-debut-short-story-collection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341810/author-ysabelle-cheung-puts-asian-women-front-and-centre-debut-short-story-collection?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung In a quiet corner of a public library in Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province, a 47-year-old man meticulously writes in his notebook. To the students around him, he may look just like another middle-aged man filling his day. Few would guess that the man is Hu Anyan, the award-winning author of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, a grass-roots memoir that has sold more than 2 million copies and become a cultural touchstone for China’s working class. Hu will make a rare public appearance at this year’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341337/how-i-deliver-parcels-beijing-author-hu-anyan-became-working-class-hero-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341337/how-i-deliver-parcels-beijing-author-hu-anyan-became-working-class-hero-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson The first time I went to Macau was in 2017, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time lost inside The Venetian. Let me tell you, there’s something profoundly disorienting about a fake sky and canals indoors. I kept passing the same gondola, panic mounting. I suspect I’m not alone in this experience – or in the broader reality that many people never see much beyond Macau’s glitz and glam. It’s easy to visit for a weekend, stick to the resorts and come away thinking you’ve seen the city. But for... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3340967/week-postmag-many-layers-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3340967/week-postmag-many-layers-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I GREW UP IN A theatrical family. My mother was also on the stage and had just begun to really make a name for herself when she married my father (Leslie Sarony). Then we saw a little bit of his true character because he said, “There’s only one star in this family,” and she was told she couldn’t work any more. We used to go to wherever my father was playing summer seasons. He was half of The Two Leslies, which was the partnership that he began in, I think, 1937. I grew up watching them on stage.... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3339357/meet-neville-sarony-hong-kong-barrister-who-also-writes-acts-and-sings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3339357/meet-neville-sarony-hong-kong-barrister-who-also-writes-acts-and-sings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:00:12 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Hana no Kumo Ascend The Henderson to discover Hana no Kumo, where chef Ogawa Masaru – formerly of Wagyu Kaiseki Den – is putting his spin on the kappou experience. It’s an intimate affair on the 38th floor; just 24 seats surround the action as Ogawa executes his interactive “cut and cook” philosophy. The HBA-designed space is inspired by Kyoto, with sakura motifs providing a serene backdrop for HK$2,380 dinner tasting menus featuring abalone and seasonal sashimi. Summit 38, 38/F, The Henderson,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3339331/buzziest-openings-hong-kong-japanese-delights-new-literary-museum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3339331/buzziest-openings-hong-kong-japanese-delights-new-literary-museum?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Betty Boop and Nancy Drew are joining Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh in the public domain. The first appearances of the classic cartoon and comic characters are among the pieces of intellectual property whose 95-year US copyright maximum has been reached, putting them in the public domain on January 1. That means creators can use and repurpose them without permission or payment. The 2026 batch of newly public artistic creations does not quite have the sparkle of other recent years’ entries... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338799/2026-public-domain-movies-cartoons-comics-and-books-include-betty-boop-nancy-drew?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338799/2026-public-domain-movies-cartoons-comics-and-books-include-betty-boop-nancy-drew?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:15:08 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han When Arthur Sze translates classical Tang dynasty poetry into English, he writes Chinese characters by hand, slowing himself to the pace of brush strokes and gaps. This deliberate resistance to speed is central to the craft of the US’ 25th poet laureate, and reflective of his belief that poetry must be treated with care if it is to cross borders with depth intact. Sze only translates poems he loves; by his count, he’s done just 75 translations over a five-decade-long career. “I don’t work on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3338219/us-poet-laureate-arthur-sze-slowing-down-translate-poetry-across-cultures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3338219/us-poet-laureate-arthur-sze-slowing-down-translate-poetry-across-cultures?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Kavita Daswani Kavita Daswani After more than 13 years in the United States, Singaporean chef C-Y Chia is preparing to return to the Lion City. But not before leaving a parting gift for the diners who helped shape Chia’s journey: a new cookbook that distils the spirit of Lion Dance Cafe, the vegan restaurant in Oakland, California, that Chia co-founded and ran with partner and fellow chef Shane Stanbridge. Lion Dance Cafe Cookbook: Authentic, Not Traditional contains more than 100 recipes that reflect the pair’s plant-based,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3338253/chef-ready-bring-plant-based-take-singaporean-food-back-home-lion-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3338253/chef-ready-bring-plant-based-take-singaporean-food-back-home-lion-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press John Skelley cannot escape the pull of Harry Potter. It is as if something magical keeps them together. The stage actor was first hired to be an understudy of the grown-up wizard in Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in New York. Then he led the cast in San Francisco before the pandemic hit. He returned to Potter on a year-long national tour and now finds himself back on Broadway, with the role officially his. “It’s like something that just kind of keeps coming back into my life,”... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337772/john-skelleys-harry-potter-journey-broadway-understudy-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337772/john-skelleys-harry-potter-journey-broadway-understudy-star?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. When Wayne Wang’s The Joy Luck Club was released in 1993, it stood as only the second Hollywood film ever to tell a contemporary story with a majority Asian cast – the first, Flower Drum Song, had arrived 32 years prior. Based on the bestselling 1989 novel by Amy Tan, it tells of four Chinese mothers and their daughters in San Francisco. They play a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337472/how-joy-luck-club-paved-way-asian-representation-long-crazy-rich-asians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337472/how-joy-luck-club-paved-way-asian-representation-long-crazy-rich-asians?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa It’s no secret that several influential people have turned to psychics and astrologers for help and comfort in the past. Former US president Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan were known to heavily rely on their astrologer Joan Quigley for everything, from scheduling presidential trips to press conferences. Meghan Markle is said to have befriended famed Australian astrologer Angela Pearl, while a picture of designer Jonathan Anderson having a tarot reading done recently went viral on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3336994/meet-laura-lynne-jackson-clairvoyant-and-psychic-medium-kim-kardashian-and-gwyneth-paltrow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3336994/meet-laura-lynne-jackson-clairvoyant-and-psychic-medium-kim-kardashian-and-gwyneth-paltrow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:00:12 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Chor Yuen is known today for directing magical martial arts classics like The Sentimental Swordsman. Recently, however, a number of his rarer titles were made widely available again. Below we look at a few of his lesser-known wuxia gems. Duel for Gold (1971) Chor had only one martial arts film to his credit, Cold Blade, before joining Shaw Brothers in 1970. He had previously established himself by directing around 70 dramas and romances, many of which achieved both commercial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa This year, we lost some of the icons who shaped pop culture, from Hollywood legends to beloved musicians and TV stars, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Val Kilmer. We honour their memory by celebrating their lives and their enduring works. D’Angelo R&B and soul singer D’Angelo died in New York City on October 14, aged 51, after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. “Such a sad loss to the passing of D’Angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep peacefully D.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3337044/memoriam-29-beloved-celebrities-we-lost-2025-diane-keaton-robert-redford?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3337044/memoriam-29-beloved-celebrities-we-lost-2025-diane-keaton-robert-redford?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:00:10 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar If you’ve ever wondered what multi Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift enjoys listening to when she’s not working on her own tunes, the answer is in her newly released Disney+ docuseries, Taylor Swift: The End of an Era. Avid fans noticed that the star was listening to an audiobook in the series and figured out from an excerpt that it was Liz Moore’s New York Times bestselling novel, The God of the Woods. Swift is in good company. In 2024, the title was recommended by former US... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/entertainment-news/article/3336905/what-was-book-taylor-swift-listened-end-era-all-you-need-know-about-god-woods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/entertainment-news/article/3336905/what-was-book-taylor-swift-listened-end-era-all-you-need-know-about-god-woods?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:29 +0000 Gillian Rhys Gillian Rhys In a peaceful valley among gentle rolling hills in Hampshire is a field much like any other in this part of southeast England. Seen through the hedgerow from a narrow country lane there’s nothing to signify it was the birthplace of one of the world’s most famous novelists. But 250 years ago, on a frosty December 16, Jane Austen was born in Steventon rectory, which stood on this site, and lived here until she was 25, more than half her 41-year life. The city of Bath is the location most... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3336072/search-jane-austens-england-quiet-rectories-grand-estates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3336072/search-jane-austens-england-quiet-rectories-grand-estates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:00:16 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Since its premiere on November 28, Canadian streamer Crave’s queer ice hockey romance series Heated Rivalry has taken over the internet. The series is adapted from Canadian author Rachel Reid’s six-book novel series named Game Changers, and written and directed by Jacob Tierney. Starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as rival ice hockey stars, the steamy show follows the two players as they battle their obvious attraction towards one another. It has already been renewed for a second... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3336492/meet-author-books-behind-heated-rivalry-rachel-reid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3336492/meet-author-books-behind-heated-rivalry-rachel-reid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung History often revolves around grand, overarching narratives focusing on wars and treaties. What can get lost is the everyday texture – the street-level hustle, the business deals and the cultural nuances that truly shaped an era. At Firsts Hong Kong, a rare book fair held from December 5-7 at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum that featured 25 exhibitors from around the globe, granular descriptions of history were showcased through books and photographs such as two rarely seen diaries of Samuel... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3336496/rare-diaries-and-marco-polo-travelogue-reveal-hidden-histories-china-hong-kong-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3336496/rare-diaries-and-marco-polo-travelogue-reveal-hidden-histories-china-hong-kong-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:16:34 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Liu Cixin is the most influential contemporary science fiction writer in China. He is best known for his trilogy that starts with The Three-Body Problem, for which he won a Hugo Award for best novel in 2015. The trilogy earned international acclaim and has been adapted for television in both Chinese and English. Born in 1963 and raised in Shanxi, Liu started his working life as a computer engineer at a power plant in the central province. Inspired by British sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke, Liu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336312/rational-optimist-sci-fi-writer-liu-cixin-why-hell-be-happy-if-ai-surpasses-humans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336312/rational-optimist-sci-fi-writer-liu-cixin-why-hell-be-happy-if-ai-surpasses-humans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:00:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Celebrated British documentary photographer Martin Parr has died at his home in the western English city of Bristol, his foundation announced on Sunday. He was 73. Famous for his kitschy, colour-saturated images, Parr had a sharp eye for mundane oddities, typified in his humorous snapshots of bronzed beachgoers and selfie-snapping holidaymakers. “It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) died yesterday at home in Bristol,” a statement on The Martin Parr Foundation’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335535/renowned-british-documentary-photographer-martin-parr-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335535/renowned-british-documentary-photographer-martin-parr-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 18:15:58 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre Build the perfect library for watch aficionados with these lavishly illustrated books – from homages to Rolex and Richard Mille, to a celebration of diamond-studded timepieces beloved by the hip hop set. Richard Mille: The Impossible Collection Only founded in 1999, Richard Mille has quickly become one of the most respected and prized names in high watchmaking. By combining unparalleled technology with striking design, and partnering with top athletes such as Rafael Nadal and carmakers like... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3335205/6-lush-coffee-table-books-gift-watch-lover-your-life-spanning-rolex-richard-mille-celebrity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3335205/6-lush-coffee-table-books-gift-watch-lover-your-life-spanning-rolex-richard-mille-celebrity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:00:15 +0000 Agencies Agencies British playwright Tom Stoppard, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for the 1998 film Shakespeare In Love, has died at the age of 88, United Agents said on Saturday. “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family,” the talent agency said. “He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334646/oscar-winning-uk-playwright-tom-stoppard-dies-aged-88?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334646/oscar-winning-uk-playwright-tom-stoppard-dies-aged-88?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:14:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Designer Jeffrey Banks spent years co-authoring seven books on fashion before finally deciding it was time to share his own story. The menswear designer recounts more than 50 years in fashion, from working for Ralph Lauren to launching his own label, in his new memoir, Storyteller: Tales from a Fashion Insider. At 72, Banks is having a breakout year. One of his designs was selected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit, and he is relaunching his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3334213/fashion-designer-jeffrey-banks-ralph-laurens-other-son-shares-his-story-new-memoir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3334213/fashion-designer-jeffrey-banks-ralph-laurens-other-son-shares-his-story-new-memoir?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:15:11 +0000