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Horizon Hong Kong: Selected Stories
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jul 26One of Hong Kong’s leading English writers, Xu Xi investigates and invigorates the transnational, transcultural, and translingual dimensions of her beloved city in these 22 stories covering the 1960s to the present day. Written against the backdrop of tremendous political change—from Hong Kong’s transformation from a British colony to a Chinese Special Administrative Region in 1997 to the political turmoil of the 2014 Occupy Hong Kong protests and the 2019 Polytechnic University occupation—Xu’s stories capture the intimate realities of lives led and choices made under the shadow of a city that looms large in our imagination.
A cast of idiosyncratic local and expatriate characters navigates what it means to love, leave, and return again and again to their home city: a young girl obsesses over an orange-haired lady from Chung King Mansion; a massage therapist practices English with a client; a woman appeals to reinstate her American work visa or face deportation; a man reluctantly attends his high school’s thirty-fifth reunion dinner; and monkeys are appointed academic residency at the local university.
Horizon Hong Kong demonstrates the power and range of Xu Xi’s oeuvre, its stories Hong Kong’s and also the world’s.
A cast of idiosyncratic local and expatriate characters navigates what it means to love, leave, and return again and again to their home city: a young girl obsesses over an orange-haired lady from Chung King Mansion; a massage therapist practices English with a client; a woman appeals to reinstate her American work visa or face deportation; a man reluctantly attends his high school’s thirty-fifth reunion dinner; and monkeys are appointed academic residency at the local university.
Horizon Hong Kong demonstrates the power and range of Xu Xi’s oeuvre, its stories Hong Kong’s and also the world’s.
- GenresShort Stories
312 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 1, 2026
About the author
Xu Xi
47 books43 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
XU XI is the author’s pinyin* short form name which is also her byline, but she is most assuredly not the following beings with the same pinyin name: a Chinese painter & sculptor; the author of tomes about acupuncture; a nationalist or a dissident-in-exile of any nation-state; a reality TV show host in some special economic zone or on YouTube; an Academic in any Intellectual Discipline, real or imagined, as capitalized by Pooh or some other friendly wild thing. She has however had three legal English names (as well as several best left unnamed of dubious legal quality) and strives assiduously not to acquire any others.
However, she really is the author of thirteen books, including five novels, six collections of short fiction & essays and most recently Insignificance: Hong Kong Stories, released June 15, 2018 by Signal 8 Press; the memoir Dear Hong Kong: An Elegy for a City (2017), as part of Penguin's Hong Kong series for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China. She is also editor of four anthologies of Hong Kong writing in English. Forthcoming from Nebraska Univeristy Press in March 2019 is an essay collection This Fish Is Fowl.
A former Indonesian national, born and raised in Hong Kong, she eventually morphed into a U.S. citizen at the age of 33, having washed onto that distant shore across from Lady Liberty. These days, she splits time between New York and Asia (her sights set on the land of her former nationality, Indonesia) and still mourns the loss of her beloved writing retreat in Seacliff, on the South Island of New Zealand, where she hovered, joyously, for seven years.
*pinyin = transliteration for Mandarin Chinese or Putonghua (P), the official language of China although Xu is far more fluent in Cantonese (C), that being the people’s language of her birth city, Hong Kong.
XU XI is the author’s pinyin* short form name which is also her byline, but she is most assuredly not the following beings with the same pinyin name: a Chinese painter & sculptor; the author of tomes about acupuncture; a nationalist or a dissident-in-exile of any nation-state; a reality TV show host in some special economic zone or on YouTube; an Academic in any Intellectual Discipline, real or imagined, as capitalized by Pooh or some other friendly wild thing. She has however had three legal English names (as well as several best left unnamed of dubious legal quality) and strives assiduously not to acquire any others.
However, she really is the author of thirteen books, including five novels, six collections of short fiction & essays and most recently Insignificance: Hong Kong Stories, released June 15, 2018 by Signal 8 Press; the memoir Dear Hong Kong: An Elegy for a City (2017), as part of Penguin's Hong Kong series for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China. She is also editor of four anthologies of Hong Kong writing in English. Forthcoming from Nebraska Univeristy Press in March 2019 is an essay collection This Fish Is Fowl.
A former Indonesian national, born and raised in Hong Kong, she eventually morphed into a U.S. citizen at the age of 33, having washed onto that distant shore across from Lady Liberty. These days, she splits time between New York and Asia (her sights set on the land of her former nationality, Indonesia) and still mourns the loss of her beloved writing retreat in Seacliff, on the South Island of New Zealand, where she hovered, joyously, for seven years.
*pinyin = transliteration for Mandarin Chinese or Putonghua (P), the official language of China although Xu is far more fluent in Cantonese (C), that being the people’s language of her birth city, Hong Kong.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Some cities are backdrops.
Hong Kong, in this collection, is pulse.
In Horizon Hong Kong, Xu Xi does not merely write about a place — she interrogates it, mourns it, argues with it, and loves it fiercely. Across twenty-two stories spanning the 1960s to the present (and reaching toward the speculative), she captures a Hong Kong that is colonial and postcolonial, intimate and global, tender and unsparing.
These stories unfold against seismic political shifts — the 1997 handover from Britain to China, the 2014 Occupy movement, the 2019 Polytechnic University siege — yet Xu Xi’s genius lies in her refusal to reduce history to headlines. Instead, she filters upheaval through private lives: a woman fighting deportation; a man confronting the awkward ghosts of a high school reunion; a girl transfixed by a stranger in Chung King Mansion; lovers, migrants, daughters, expatriates, all negotiating belonging in a city that is constantly redefining itself.
Language itself becomes contested terrain. English and Cantonese echo through the collection, not just as tools of communication but as markers of class, memory, and power. Xu Xi writes with a transnational sensibility that feels earned rather than ornamental — she understands the friction of hybridity, the ache of displacement, the complicated nostalgia for a place that may no longer exist except in recollection.
What’s most striking is the emotional range. The stories are sharp, often satirical, sometimes quietly devastating. They skew shallow cosmopolitanism one moment and, in the next, lay bare a loneliness so precise it almost startles. There is rage here — at erasure, at injustice, at the slow vanishing of a city’s soul — but there is also deep compassion for those caught within history’s machinery.
The collection feels kaleidoscopic without ever losing focus. Characters stand at thresholds: between languages, between passports, between eras. They grapple with whether to stay or leave, and what either choice will cost them. Hong Kong emerges not as a static setting but as a living contradiction — dazzling, fraught, stubbornly unforgettable.
It’s rare to encounter a short story collection that feels both intimate and expansive, that speaks so specifically of one city and yet resonates globally. Horizon Hong Kong does exactly that. It reminds us that cities are archives of longing — and that the act of telling their stories is, in itself, an act of preservation.
This is not just a collection to read. It’s one to return to.
Hong Kong, in this collection, is pulse.
In Horizon Hong Kong, Xu Xi does not merely write about a place — she interrogates it, mourns it, argues with it, and loves it fiercely. Across twenty-two stories spanning the 1960s to the present (and reaching toward the speculative), she captures a Hong Kong that is colonial and postcolonial, intimate and global, tender and unsparing.
These stories unfold against seismic political shifts — the 1997 handover from Britain to China, the 2014 Occupy movement, the 2019 Polytechnic University siege — yet Xu Xi’s genius lies in her refusal to reduce history to headlines. Instead, she filters upheaval through private lives: a woman fighting deportation; a man confronting the awkward ghosts of a high school reunion; a girl transfixed by a stranger in Chung King Mansion; lovers, migrants, daughters, expatriates, all negotiating belonging in a city that is constantly redefining itself.
Language itself becomes contested terrain. English and Cantonese echo through the collection, not just as tools of communication but as markers of class, memory, and power. Xu Xi writes with a transnational sensibility that feels earned rather than ornamental — she understands the friction of hybridity, the ache of displacement, the complicated nostalgia for a place that may no longer exist except in recollection.
What’s most striking is the emotional range. The stories are sharp, often satirical, sometimes quietly devastating. They skew shallow cosmopolitanism one moment and, in the next, lay bare a loneliness so precise it almost startles. There is rage here — at erasure, at injustice, at the slow vanishing of a city’s soul — but there is also deep compassion for those caught within history’s machinery.
The collection feels kaleidoscopic without ever losing focus. Characters stand at thresholds: between languages, between passports, between eras. They grapple with whether to stay or leave, and what either choice will cost them. Hong Kong emerges not as a static setting but as a living contradiction — dazzling, fraught, stubbornly unforgettable.
It’s rare to encounter a short story collection that feels both intimate and expansive, that speaks so specifically of one city and yet resonates globally. Horizon Hong Kong does exactly that. It reminds us that cities are archives of longing — and that the act of telling their stories is, in itself, an act of preservation.
This is not just a collection to read. It’s one to return to.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a rich, immersive collection of short stories, to navigate us through the city that is in constant and continuous transformation. I think what really got to me the most was how Xu Xi wrote with unforgiving, sharp-edged, yet sentimental care into every political event mentioned through the eyes of the private lives, the ones who lives through history but often aren't in the focus in their stories, and instead highlights everyone in a respective space that makes it feel more lived-in than anything else.
I also do really enjoy short stories that challenge not only me, but they answer such questions about belonging, language, and identity in a world, specifically in this case, Hong Kong, that undergoes several transformations shaped by war, foreign involvement, integration with others, and so on. And that way that's all done through humor, grief, and my favorite - that super direct anger at erasure that critically points out what the actual TRUE sentiment is throughout. But it's done in such a matter that is calculative. I will say, I think this might be just a common thing about short stories, etc but sometimes it can be difficult to get attached to characters because it ends in such a manner. I will commend it though for how Xu Xi navigated the lack of continuity and instead balanced it out in such a generational manner.
Fascinating, although, I do feel like some collections require some cultural and historical knowledge, which I do see creating some friction with readers, potentially? However, the first couple pages explaining the purpose of this, the knowledge and fascination of Xu Xi, was SO NICE. So well articulated, complete and utter respect for the craft and recognition and I think it would be any reader's due diligence to research more anyways. That was definitely thought out and an absolute great addition to the book altogether. But also, some of the ways the short stories are written can be much for some, slow, too fast, too rushed. It's all dependent on who's reading it, but anything with a sprinkle of history and discussions regarding it is a cup of tea for me.
I will note that my favorites in here were The Yellow Line and Famine. 10/10!
Thank you Gaudy Boy x NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
I also do really enjoy short stories that challenge not only me, but they answer such questions about belonging, language, and identity in a world, specifically in this case, Hong Kong, that undergoes several transformations shaped by war, foreign involvement, integration with others, and so on. And that way that's all done through humor, grief, and my favorite - that super direct anger at erasure that critically points out what the actual TRUE sentiment is throughout. But it's done in such a matter that is calculative. I will say, I think this might be just a common thing about short stories, etc but sometimes it can be difficult to get attached to characters because it ends in such a manner. I will commend it though for how Xu Xi navigated the lack of continuity and instead balanced it out in such a generational manner.
Fascinating, although, I do feel like some collections require some cultural and historical knowledge, which I do see creating some friction with readers, potentially? However, the first couple pages explaining the purpose of this, the knowledge and fascination of Xu Xi, was SO NICE. So well articulated, complete and utter respect for the craft and recognition and I think it would be any reader's due diligence to research more anyways. That was definitely thought out and an absolute great addition to the book altogether. But also, some of the ways the short stories are written can be much for some, slow, too fast, too rushed. It's all dependent on who's reading it, but anything with a sprinkle of history and discussions regarding it is a cup of tea for me.
I will note that my favorites in here were The Yellow Line and Famine. 10/10!
Thank you Gaudy Boy x NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Horizon Hong Kong is a thoughtful and beautifully layered collection that gives a vivid sense of Hong Kong, not just as a place, but as a living, changing world shaped by the people in it. What makes the book so engaging is how Xu Xi explores the city through different perspectives, showing lives that feel personal, messy, and deeply real. Each story brings something different, but together they build a rich portrait of identity, culture, belonging, and the quiet ways people struggle to understand themselves and each other.
What I appreciated most was how honest the writing feels. Xu Xi doesn’t over-explain emotions or force dramatic moments. Instead, she lets small details, conversations, and inner thoughts do the work, which makes the stories feel intimate and authentic. There’s a strong sense of place throughout and the energy of Hong Kong, its fast pace, its layered history, and the tension between tradition and change all quietly shape the characters’ lives.
The collection also stands out because of how emotionally varied it is. Some stories feel reflective and tender, while others carry loneliness, frustration, or a sense of longing. There’s a lot here about identity, especially cultural identity and what it means to belong somewhere while also feeling disconnected from it. That emotional complexity gives the book weight without making it feel heavy.
Overall, Horizon Hong Kong is the kind of collection that stays with you because it feels so human. It’s observant, nuanced, and full of quiet emotional depth. Rather than telling one big story, it offers many smaller ones that come together to create something rich, moving, and memorable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What I appreciated most was how honest the writing feels. Xu Xi doesn’t over-explain emotions or force dramatic moments. Instead, she lets small details, conversations, and inner thoughts do the work, which makes the stories feel intimate and authentic. There’s a strong sense of place throughout and the energy of Hong Kong, its fast pace, its layered history, and the tension between tradition and change all quietly shape the characters’ lives.
The collection also stands out because of how emotionally varied it is. Some stories feel reflective and tender, while others carry loneliness, frustration, or a sense of longing. There’s a lot here about identity, especially cultural identity and what it means to belong somewhere while also feeling disconnected from it. That emotional complexity gives the book weight without making it feel heavy.
Overall, Horizon Hong Kong is the kind of collection that stays with you because it feels so human. It’s observant, nuanced, and full of quiet emotional depth. Rather than telling one big story, it offers many smaller ones that come together to create something rich, moving, and memorable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
April 12, 2026
This collection of 22 short stories—comprising stories from 5 previous collections by Xu Xi—is a dedication to life, love, family, and change in the sociopolitical backdrop of Hong Kong and connected diaspora from colonial to modern times.
I’m a sucker for origin stories: to relive the newness of the world through the eyes and ears of children, students, young professionals, retirees, or elderly finding their memories again.
I was pulled in by 9 of the 22 stories:
In Democracy, I felt the poignancy of youthful competition and righteousness amidst fundamental changes from what was previously ordained to opening up to democratic ideals.
In Chung King Mansion and The Yellow Line, I experienced children’s secret obsessions bounded by sociocultural expectations and family ties, with an emotional punch in the gut.
In Insignificant Moments in the History of Hong Kong, Citizenship, and Rubato, I experienced a series of contrasts, skillfully juxtaposed to highlight the differences. Yet, underneath we are the same.
Monkey in Residence is an amusing and witty homage to the Monkey King legend.
And in Before and TST, I looked back at life’s love and experience, including COVID pandemic, through clever repackaging of memories.
Together these stories fit together in a chronological cohesion, leading me on an exploration of the depths of norms and expectations through flawed characters and social change.
I enjoyed most stories from the 2001, 2004, and 2022 collections. The 2011 and 2018 didn’t pull me in with the language or too many characters. I’m a simple person!
Thank you NetGalley and Gaudy Boy for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this book!
I’m a sucker for origin stories: to relive the newness of the world through the eyes and ears of children, students, young professionals, retirees, or elderly finding their memories again.
I was pulled in by 9 of the 22 stories:
In Democracy, I felt the poignancy of youthful competition and righteousness amidst fundamental changes from what was previously ordained to opening up to democratic ideals.
In Chung King Mansion and The Yellow Line, I experienced children’s secret obsessions bounded by sociocultural expectations and family ties, with an emotional punch in the gut.
In Insignificant Moments in the History of Hong Kong, Citizenship, and Rubato, I experienced a series of contrasts, skillfully juxtaposed to highlight the differences. Yet, underneath we are the same.
Monkey in Residence is an amusing and witty homage to the Monkey King legend.
And in Before and TST, I looked back at life’s love and experience, including COVID pandemic, through clever repackaging of memories.
Together these stories fit together in a chronological cohesion, leading me on an exploration of the depths of norms and expectations through flawed characters and social change.
I enjoyed most stories from the 2001, 2004, and 2022 collections. The 2011 and 2018 didn’t pull me in with the language or too many characters. I’m a simple person!
Thank you NetGalley and Gaudy Boy for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Gaudy Boy for this eArc.
As someone who is a fan of Hong Kong cinema I just knew upon seeing the title of this novel I just had to read it and I wasn’t disappointed.
Hong Kong has gone through some massive changes throughout the years due to various different reasons and I thought this collection of short stories encapsulates it beautifully. Throughout my read I found Xu Xi’s words to be sharp, witty yet somehow delicately full of empathy alongside a narrative which I felt as if was written in a way that almost feels intricate. The characters themselves felt authentic, and through Xu Xi’s writing you could feel just how much they were trying their best to navigate the ever-changing Hong Kong whilst also trying to keep their resolve.
Overall a very great read.
As someone who is a fan of Hong Kong cinema I just knew upon seeing the title of this novel I just had to read it and I wasn’t disappointed.
Hong Kong has gone through some massive changes throughout the years due to various different reasons and I thought this collection of short stories encapsulates it beautifully. Throughout my read I found Xu Xi’s words to be sharp, witty yet somehow delicately full of empathy alongside a narrative which I felt as if was written in a way that almost feels intricate. The characters themselves felt authentic, and through Xu Xi’s writing you could feel just how much they were trying their best to navigate the ever-changing Hong Kong whilst also trying to keep their resolve.
Overall a very great read.
April 24, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Gaudy Boy for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Xu Xi is undoubtably a talented author, however I had mixed feelings about this compilation of short stories. Some of them worked for me and others simply fell flat. I particularly enjoyed the vivid imagery and sharp storytelling in The Yellow Line. Some of the longer stories meandered and I didn’t feel that there was a cohesive theme running through the book. Nevertheless, this book is a good contribution to Hong Kong-centred literature and I would definitely explore more written by the author.
Xu Xi is undoubtably a talented author, however I had mixed feelings about this compilation of short stories. Some of them worked for me and others simply fell flat. I particularly enjoyed the vivid imagery and sharp storytelling in The Yellow Line. Some of the longer stories meandered and I didn’t feel that there was a cohesive theme running through the book. Nevertheless, this book is a good contribution to Hong Kong-centred literature and I would definitely explore more written by the author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews