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Chatting about Fairy Tales: Excerpts from a Conversation with Xi Xi

This conversation between renowned literary critic Ho Fuk Yan and Xi Xi, one of Hong Kong’s most beloved and acclaimed authors, took place over the course of several meetings during the spring of 1982 in Hong Kong. They discuss Xi Xi’s views on reading, writing, and other matters, including her preference for comedies over tragedies, her appreciation of the work of Latin American authors and Italo Calvino, and her fondness for fairy tales and children’s literature. She also discusses some of her early stories, including “Glass Slippers,” “The Bowl,” and “The Frying Pan.” Although this conversation occurred more than three decades ago, it serves as an invaluable resource to contemporary readers for better understanding Xi Xi’s early writings and her thoughts on literature, as well as her observations on pre-handover Hong Kong.