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2022/23 School of Chinese Research Student Seminar

開始成為「地方」的香港

—— 二十世紀五、六十年代世情小說的庶民空間造像

Hong Kong: Becoming a “Place” - Civic Space Writing in Civil Novels in the 1950-60s

Speaker: Miss QIN Yuxi

Date: April 14, 2023 (Fri)

Time: 17:30 - 18:45

Language: Putonghua

Mode: 100% Face-to-face

Venue: CPD-3.29, Central Podium Level 3, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

二十世紀五、六十年代是香港城市發展的重要階段之一，但其在香港「城市文學」敘述脈絡中的聲音卻稍顯微弱，尤其在「人城關係」方面。事實上，此時期香港正經歷著一場不可忽視的社會變革，對中下層小民而言更是如此。無論是顛沛輾轉、離鄉背井於此地安身，還是成長於斯卻發覺故土難現，升斗小民在日新月異的城市中汲汲謀生，求方寸立足地，尋點滴人間情，同時也不得不作為城市一員感受適應其中形形色色的衝突與碰撞。這些平凡瑣碎的日常經歷以潤物無聲的方式將人和城黏合在一起，使之互相影響，實現雙向建構。人與城之間的關係變得愈加複雜多元且充滿張力，成為七十年代之後明確「我城」意識的先聲。創作於此時期的世情小說對上述內容皆有所呈現，因此本研究將其作為分析對象，以「地方」理論為鏡透視小說中庶民空間書寫對「城」的表徵。本次報告包括兩部分：一、梳理關於二十世紀五、六十年代文學「城」的論述並提出本研究立論；二、以寫於五十年代的三部作品為例分析「香港」成為庶民眼中「地方」的一種情況。

The period from 1950-1970 is an important development stage in Hong Kong’s history. However, few critics focus much on this period in the narrative of “Hong Kong urban literature”. Hong Kong underwent an indispensable social change during that period, particularly for the middle and lower groups. Some became displaced and settled in Hong Kong, and others who were natives found their old homes were vanishing…They spared no effort to earn their living in the swiftly-changing city, trying to find a standing place and some warmth; meanwhile, they have to experience and adjust to various collisions in the city. The trivialness invisibly bonded the city and its people, leading them to have dual effects. In this process, the relationship between Hong Kong and its ordinary people became more hybrid and complex, which can be regarded as a foreshadowing of Hong Kong’s consciousness after the 1970s. All talked about above are shown in those civil novels written in this period. Therefore, this research chose them as analysis texts and use the lens of “place” to explore how these works represent Hong Kong through their civic space writings. This seminar includes two parts:1) raise the research statement; 2) elucidate how Hong Kong become a place for ordinary people through analyzing three novels written in the 1950s

ALL are welcome*
*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is requested.