Hong Kong Olympian Siobhan Haughey recently held the latest gathering of her community book club. The session focused on empowering women while nurturing critical thinking and confidence. It also hoped to inspire meaningful conversations about literature.
The project is titled Empower Through Reading. It began three years ago in partnership with Chanel. It aims to build reading habits and self-expression in young Hongkongers.
Haughey has led the project since it began. But this summer gathering was the first time that the medallist stepped up as the sole host. She was also the lead moderator for three sessions.
“Balancing my own thoughts while keeping time, reading the room and steering the flow was a completely new challenge,” she said. “But it pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible.”
The latest student sessions were tailored for young women. They wanted to provide a safe space to share their life perspectives.
“We actively encouraged open discussion to help nurture confidence and compassion,” Haughey said.
Around 100 participants attended the sessions. Haughey guided discussions on two texts: Mourning a Breast by the late Hong Kong author Xi Xi and Lessons in Chemistry by American novelist Bonnie Garmus.
Spreading a sense of hope
Local authors Lam Sam-wai and Eva Wong joined Haughey for a panel discussion on Mourning a Breast. The book talks about Xi Xi’s battle with breast cancer.
“I hope students learn about the experiences of women in the 1990s, including their mothers and grandmothers, to build intergenerational empathy and understanding,” Lam said.
“I also want them to realise that life offers choices and that they have the right to express or choose not to express themselves.”
There is a subtle depth to the writing, Lam said.
“Xi Xi’s work can be understood without using a dictionary. But as you read slowly, you discover very deep meaning expressed through a child’s perspective of caring for the world,” she said.
“I want students to feel a sense of hope. The title sounds sad, but it is actually a book that offers hope rather than just pain. There is growth within hardship.”
Wong enjoyed seeing young participants engage with classic Hong Kong literature.
She said it showed how meaningful books remain across generations.
“Seeing that students could connect with the text ... made me very happy,” she said. “Good books can transcend time and region, remaining relevant for discussion over many years.”
Lessons in creative writing
For student writers, Xi Xi’s playful approach to writing was a model for creative expression.
“Xi Xi’s willingness to [discuss] her cancer journey was revolutionary for her time,” said Emily Lam Hin-kwan, 18. She is a student at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College.
“When illness was heavily stigmatised and viewed through a lens of judgment – as though getting sick was somehow a personal failure – Xi Xi became a pioneer. She broke the silence not with bitterness but with a lighthearted, gentle courage.”
To Haughey, the discussions and the lessons students learned show the importance of literature.
“Whether you read every day or haven’t picked up a book in years, I invite you to open one today, even for just a few pages, to rediscover the quiet power, clarity and sanctuary that reading brings to your life,” she said.
