We live in an era of unprecedented connectivity, yet we are immersed in unprecedented loneliness. Social media has accustomed us to wearing masks, hiding our true selves in digital interactions, which in turn creates greater distance between people. The book The Lonely Century accurately captures this contemporary condition.
Using the book as a starting point, this book club will explore modern loneliness and the fluidity of identity from psychological, social, and philosophical perspectives. Why do we constantly switch between different personas in virtual and real-life spaces? Why does a hyper-connected society make it harder to form genuine relationships?
Join writer Eva Wong in conversation with Rottenamimi, Master of Buddhist Studies and Buddhist Counselling, and Peter Chan, Managing Director of TreeholeHK, rediscover what it means to be truly connected – to others, and to ourselves.
WONG Yi is an award-winning Hong Kong writer, librettist, and one of the founding members and curators of Xi Xi Space. She was an editor at Fleur des Lettres and host of “Book Review” on RTHK for many years. In 2020, she was named one of 20 Young Sinophone Novelists to Watch by the Taiwanese literary magazine Unitas. She is the author of four short story collections, including Ways To Love In A Crowded City (2021), and The Four Seasons of Lam Yip (2019). In 2023, she participated in the University of Iowa's prestigious International Writing Program Fall Residency. She currently teaches creative writing at Hong Kong Baptist University and various secondary schools in Hong Kong.
Peter is the founder of the social enterprise “TreeholeHK”. He promoted the psychology and thinking culture in Hong Kong. He has extensive corporate training experience and has held workshops in many local universities such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and CUHK, and multinational companies such as DHL. His strengths are the theory of psychology into practical knowledge of grounding and psychology in job communication and marketing.
Temporarily switching between or simultaneously playing the following game characters:
YouTuber, emcee, actor, voice actor, tutor, emotional wellness speaker, meditation guide, and a quiet couch potato.