Xi Xi's Timeline

The timeline allows you to see the story of Xi Xi’s life and career. Search for a particular year, like 1975, when My City was first serialized. 

2022, December

Xi Xi passed away on 18 December 2022.

2022, December

2022, July

The Carnival of the Animals, a collection of animal poems by Xi Xi, was published by CUHK Press.

2022, July

2022, May

Xi Xi received Lifetime Achievement Award from The 16th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards presented by Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

2022, May

2022, April

Stones and Peach Blossoms, a collection of short stories by Xi Xi, was published by Chung Hwa Book Company Hong Kong.

2022, April

2022, March

White-Haired Ah Ngo and Others was shortlisted for the Book Award hosted by Sanlian Lifeweek.

2022, March

2022, March

The simplified Chinese version of White-Haired Ah Ngo and Others was published by Yilin Press.

2022, March

2022, March

The simplified Chinese version of Flying Carpet was published by Yilin Press.

2022, March

2022, February

The traditional Chinese version of The Imperial Board of Astronomy was published by Hung Fan Books.

2022, February

2022, January

“The Big Rooster” and “On the Loss of Mammoth’s Language,” two pieces of animal poems by Xi Xi, were published in the 95th issue of Fleurs des lettres.

2022, January

2022, January

My City and “Maria” the novella were adapted as an immersive theatre show by Theatre Ronin.

2022, January

September, 2021

To Kwa Wan Stories, a collection of short stories by Xi Xi, was published by Spicy Fish Cultural Production Ltd.

September, 2021

2021, July

Bull’s Eye and Me, a collection of essays by Xi Xi, was published by Chung Hwa Book Company Hong Kong.

2021, July

2021, March

The short stories “A Girl Like Me” and “The Cold” have been adapted by Daniel Lo for a chamber opera performance in Cantonese. It will be performed in the Hong Kong Arts Festival 2021.

2021, March

2021, February

The simplified Chinese version of The Imperial Board of Astronomy, a historical novel by Xi Xi, was published by Guangxi Normal University Press.

2021, February

2020, November

Xi Xi’s novella The Marvels of Stones was published by Spicy Fish Cultural Production Ltd.

2020, November

2020

Birds of Passage: A Writer of Our City, a documentary filmed by Ho Fuk Yan, will premier in November 2020.

2020

2020

Xi Xi drawing at home.

2020

2020, October

The English translation of The Teddy Bear Chronicles by Christina Sanderson was published by the Chinese University Press.

2020, October

2020

My City was chosen as the featured book of One City One Book Hong Kong 2020.

2020

2020, August

The simplified Chinese version of My Georgian was published by Moveable Type and Yilin Press.

2020, August

2020, August

The simplified Chinese version of Deer Hunt was published by Moveable Type and Yilin Press.

2020, August

2020, May

The simplified Chinese versions of Birds of Passage and Weaving Nests were published by Feel Co., Ltd.

2020, May

2019

Reading Novels, a collection of essays on reading, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2019

2019

My Toys, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books. The essays had previously appeared in Ming Pao Weekly in August 2015.

2019

2019, November

Xi Xi won Sweden’s Cikada Prize.

2019, November

2019, September

The simplified Chinese version of Selected Poems of Xi Xi was published by Guangxi Normal University Press.

2019, September

2019, July & August

The 80th issue of Fleurs des lettres, a local bi-monthly literary magazine, was dedicated to Xi Xi.

2019, July & August

2019, March

Xi Xi won the 2019 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature.

2019, March

2018

Western Science Fiction Literature and Film: Conversations with Xi Xi and Ho Fuk Yan was published by Chung Hwa Book Company Hong Kong.

2018

2018, October

Xi Xi donated her Georgian dollhouse and her handmade bears for the Water Margin series to the special collection of Hong Kong Literature, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

2018, October

2018, August

Weaving Nests, a novel, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2018, August

2018

“Reading Xi Xi” in the 2598th issue of Ming Pao Weekly was dedicated to Xi Xi.

2018

2018, July

Four volumes of Research Materials for Xi Xi Studies, edited by Wong Ka Ki, Kam Yuk Ching, Ho Fuk Yan, Chan Yin Ha, Chiu Hiu Tung and Fan Sin Piu, were published by Chung Hwa Book Company of Hong Kong.

2018, July

2018, June

The short story “A Woman Like Me” was adapted by Daniel Lo for a chamber opera performance in English. It was performed in the New Opera Days Ostrava in the Czech Republic.

2018, June

2017, June

The short story “The Case of Mary” was adapted by Daniel Lo for an a cappella performance. It was performed by the local chamber choir Hong Kong Voices in their Contemporary Choral Music series.

2017, June

2016, August

Writing Studio, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2016, August

2016, August

“Playing with Xi Xi,” a drama directed by Theatre Ronin, was performed first at the 10th Taipei Fringe Festival and then in Hong Kong in July 2018.

2016, August

2016

The artist Lau Hok Shing exhibited multimedia artworks inspired by Xi Xi’s novel My City.

2016

2016

Not Written Words, translated from Selected Poems of Xi Xi by Jennifer Feeley, was published by Zephyr Press. Not Written Words was awarded the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize.

2016

2016

The simplified Chinese versions of Flying Carpet, Beard With a Face, Hand Scroll, A Reader Like Me and Microphone, were published by Guangxi Normal University Press in 2016.

2016

2015, March

The Inspired Island II: My City, a documentary about Xi Xi directed by Fruit Chan, was released.

2015, March

2014

Xi Xi takes a nap with part of Ju Ming’s Living World series at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

2014

2014, March

Reading Xi Xi, a documentary filmed by Kong King Chu, was released.

2014, March

2014

Xi Xi received the “Commitment Award” of the 4th Sing Yun Award for Global Chinese Literature.

2014

2012, May

Sheep Eat Grass, a collection of Xi Xi’s proses selected by Ho Fuk-Yan, was published by Chung Hwa Book Company Hong Kong, and then republished in mainland China in 2014.

2012, May

2011, July

Xi Xi was chosen as the Hong Kong Author of the Year in Hong Kong Book Fair 2011.

2011, July

2011, July

Chronicles of Apes and Monkeys was published by Hung Fan Books, and the simplified Chinese version of the work was published by Guangxi Normal University Press in the next year (2012).

2011, July

2011, February

The Korean rendition of My City by Kim Hye-joon was published by ZMANZ Press.

2011, February

2011, January

The simplified Chinese version of The Teddy Bear Chronicles was published by Jiangsu Literature and Art Publishing House.

2011, January

2010

The Simplified Chinese versions of My City, Mourning a Breast, A Girl Like Me and Looking at Houses, were published by Guangxi Normal University Press in 2010

2010

2009, August

The Teddy Bear Chronicles was published by Joint Publishing Hong Kong and Hung Fan Books.

2009, August

2008, September

My Georgian, a novel, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2008, September

2008

Xi Xi at Rembrandt’s house.

2008

2008, September

The travelogue Looking at Houses—Xi Xi’s Tour of Interesting Buildings was published by Hung Fan Books.

2008, September

2006

A feature film, 2 Become 1, starring Miriam Yeung, was said to have been inspired by Mourning a Breast.

2006

2006, February

White-Haired Ah Ngo and Others, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2006, February

2006

Xi Xi began exhibiting her bears and other sewn creations, including dolls, apes, and more.

2006

2005

Xi Xi, competing as Ellen Cheung, was the Designer’s Collection Champion at the 2nd Hong Kong Teddy Bear Awards.

2005

2005

The Hong Kong Arts Center produced a collection of writings, i-City, based on the idea of ​​My City, edited by Lawrence Pun and Tse Hiu-Hung etc.

2005

2005

The French rendition of Au fil de la vie by Véronique Jacquet-Woillez was published by Bleu de Chine.

2005

2004, May

A special issue entitled “Xi Xi: My Georgian” was published by INK, a monthly literary magazine in Taiwan.

2004, May

2004

Xi Xi and Fa Fa during SARS.

2004

2001, March

Jigsaw Puzzle, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2001, March

2001, March

Carousel, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2001, March

2001

Xi Xi travelled in the Middle East.

2001

2000

In 2000, Xi Xi began to study how to make puppets and teddy bears. This became a form of physical therapy for her right hand.

2000

2000

My City was chosen as one of the “100 Best Chinese Novels of the 20th Century” by Asia Weekly.

2000

2000

The English rendition of Flying Carpet: A Tale of Fertillia by Diana Yue was published by Hong Kong University Press.

2000

2000, May

Selected Poems of Xi Xi, a poetry collection including poems collected in Stone Chimes along with her latest pieces, was published by Hung Fan Books.

2000, May

2000

In 2000, Xi Xi received the “Hua Zong [Flower Trail] Literature Award” from Sin Chew Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper in Malaysia.

2000

1999, August

The novel My City was republished by Hung Fan Books.

1999, August

1999, April

The novel Deer Hunt was republished by Hung Fan Books.

1999, April

1998, June

Stories within Stories, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1998, June

1997

The French rendition of A Girl Like Me (Une fille comme moi) by Véronique Jacquet-Woillez was published by Edition de L’aube.

1997

1997

The English rendition of Marvels of a Floating City by Eva Hung was published by Renditions.

1997

1997

Xi Xi received the Creative Writing Award of the 1st Hong Kong Arts Development Council Awards for Literature.

1997

1996, September

Family Diary, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1996, September

1996, September

My City was republished by Su Yeh Publications

1996, September

1996, May

The novel Flying Carpet was published by Su Yeh Publications and Hung Fan Books.

1996, May

1995, October & December

The Topic of Time: Collected Conversations, co-authored with Ho Fuk Yan, was published by Su Yeh Publications and was republished by Hung Fan Books in the same year.

1995, October & December

1995, February

Microphone, a collection of Xi Xi’s essays on reading, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1995, February

1995, February

Pictures/Texts, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1995, February

1993

The English version of My City: A Hong Kong Story , translated by Eva Hung, was published by Renditions Paperbacks.

1993

1992, September

Mourning a Breast, a novel, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1992, September

1992, June

The Hong Kong Literature Series: Volume on Xi Xi was edited by Ho Fuk Yan and published by Joint Publishing Hong Kong. It is an anthology of Xi Xi’s poetry, fiction, essays, and conversations.

1992, June

1991, September

Birds of Passage, an autobiographical novel, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1991, September

1991, September

Joeng is a Fool, a collection of medium-length novels, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1991, September

1991, February

Scrapbook, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan books.

1991, February

1991, February

Book of What One Sees and Hears, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1991, February

1990, October

Xi Xi won the Award for Creative Writing given by Ba-Fang Literary Journal. The 12th issue of Ba-Fang Literary Journal was dedicated to Xi Xi in November 1990.

1990, October

1990, August

Mother Fish, a short-story collection, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1990, August

1990, June

The Merry Building, a novel, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1990, June

1990, January

Huamu lan, a collection of essays, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1990, January

1989, March

My City was republished by Asian Culture Company Limited.

1989, March

1988

Hand Scroll, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1988

1987, November

Xi Xi was entrusted by Hung Fan Books to edit the book series “Selected Works of Mainland Chinese Novels in the 1980s”.

1987, November

1986, September

A Reader Like Me, a collection of Xi Xi’s essays on reading, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1986, September

1986, April

Beard With a Face, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1986, April

1986, January

The novel Deer Hunt was republished by Crown Publishing.

1986, January

1986

A Girl Like Me and Other Stories, edited by Eva Hung, was published by Renditions Paperbacks in 1986 and then reappeared in an enlarged edition in 1996.

1986

1984, April

A Girl Like Me, a collection of short stories, was published by Hung Fan Books.

1984, April

1982

Stone Chimes, a collection of poems, was published by Su Yeh Publications.

1982

1982

Deer Hunt , a novel, was published by Su Yeh Publications.

1982

1982, June

Spring Gaze, a short story collection, was published by Su Yeh Publications.

1982, June

1982, February

Jiaohe, a collection of Xi Xi’s novellas and essays, was published by the Society for Hong Kong Literary Studies.

1982, February

1982, February

Xi Xi’s short story “A Girl Like Me” was first published in the 6th issue of Su Yeh Literature, and then republished in United Daily News of Taiwan.

1982, February

1980

Xi Xi’s short story “Bowls” was written in April 1980, and subsequently published in A Girl Like Me (1984).

1980

1979, March

Su Yeh published the first version of Xi Xi’s novel My City.

1979, March

1979

Su Yeh Publications was founded.

1979

1979

Xi Xi moved her home to To Kwa Wan.

1979

1979

Due to an oversupply of teachers in Hong Kong, the Education Department allowed teachers to retire early. Xi Xi’s application for early retirement was granted. Since then, she has concentrated on reading and writing.

1979

1975, November

Xi Xi’s essay “Interesting Shops” was published in Thumb Weekly. The piece, renamed “Shops,” was later selected as one of the reading materials for The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination.

1975, November

1975, January

Xi Xi’s novel My City was serialized in Hong Kong Express Daily.

1975, January

1966

After writing for the Hong Kong Movie News Magazine, Xi Xi also began to work on some film scripts.

1966

1966

Xi Xi’s novella East Side Story was published by Ming Ming Press.

1966

1964

Xi Xi began to work with literary magazines and newspapers, like The Chinese Student Weekly, where her short story “Maria” was first published in 1965.

1964

1960

Xi Xi in the 1960s.

1960

1959

Xi Xi started her career as a teacher at Farm Road Government Primary School.

1959

1957

Xi Xi began studying at The Grantham Training College, which is now part of The Education University of Hong Kong.

1957

1953, October

For the first time, Xi Xi had one of her poems published in the 20th issue of Everyman’s Literature.

1953, October

1950

Xi Xi and her parents settled in Hong Kong. She began studying in Heep Yunn School a year later.

1950

From 1937 to 1950

Xi Xi was born in Pudong, Shanghai, and attended primary school there.

From 1937 to 1950

1937, October

Xi Xi was born in October 1937.

1937, October