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Perhaps the most well-known Hong Kong poet, Mary Jean Chan is a London based writer and lecturer who has been named as one of the most influential BAME writers in Britain. Her poetry book,
Flèche, meaning “arrow” in French, received high praise after it was published, winning the 2019 Costa Book Award for Poetry.
The book’s name refers to an offensive technique used in fencing, Chan’s choice of sport during her young adult years. The title symbolises the difficult feelings she feels while navigating the world, describing it as “reconciling one’s need for safety alongside the desire to shed one’s protective armour in order to fully embrace the world”.