Keasbey Travel Grant report – Ng Sum Leung (2023, DPhil Asian and Middle Eastern Studies)

I am grateful to have received support from the Keasbey Travel Grant, which enabled me to attend and present at The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies (ACCS2025) in Tokyo, Japan. This international academic gathering brought together scholars working across disciplines in cultural and, most relevant to my research, postcolonial studies, and provided a productive environment for intellectual exchange and networking.

At the conference, I presented my paper titled ‘Dual Narrative and Double Entendre – Reinventing Ab-Nihilo Identity in Hon Lai-Chu’s Mending Bodies’. My presentation examined how Hong Kong writer Hon Lai-chu constructs ab nihilo histories through dual narrative structures, using literary ambiguity and speculative narration as tools to reframe identity beyond the constraints of linear historiography. The session drew an engaged audience, and the feedback I received, particularly from scholars working on East Asian literature and postcolonial theory, was both affirming and generative for the next stage of my research.

The conference also provided valuable opportunities for informal dialogue. I had in-depth conversations with Japanese scholars about possible career paths in Japan and gained insights into the academic job market and research culture there. Notably, I was approached by a journal editor of the conference organiser who expressed interest in the possibility of publishing my work, pending further development. This potential publication opportunity is a significant step toward building my academic profile.

This experience has been instrumental in both my academic development and professional planning. I return with renewed motivation and a clearer vision of how to position my work in global academic conversations. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Keasbey  Travel Grant for making this journey possible.

Published: 13 June 2025

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