AustLit

'The story of modern Australia is one of migration, adaptation and an ongoing struggle over the idea of an “Australian identity”. The characters in award-winning poet and novelist Ouyang Yu’s short story collection, The White Cockatoo Flowers: Stories, embody these complexities, most prominently through an exploration of the intricacies of language, translation and cultural expectation.' (Introduction)

'At Queensland Theatre, Hannah Belanszky’s play don’t ask what the bird look like explores the cost of hiding from past traumas. By Yen-Rong Wong.'

'Raised by strict, religious, Malaysian Chinese parents in Brisbane’s southern suburbs, Yen- Rong Wong internalised an idealised image of a Chinese-presenting girl at a young age. As she grew into young adulthood, she began to bristle against the weight of these expectations and the pressure to conform to cultural notions of family and future. However, she couldn’t find any stories to help her forge her own path – so she decided to write one for herself.'

'In this compelling collection of essays, Wong blends memoir and cultural criticism to interrogate perceptions around sex, racism, and familial dynamics. Laying bare her own life, she examines the joys and difficulties that lie at the intersections of her identity.

'Brave, unflinching, and with a dash of wry humour, Me, Her, Us is a provocative book for our times'(Publication summary)

'In exploring how the oppressed can become oppressors, the stage adaptation of The Poison of Polygamy – Australia’s first Chinese-language novel – is a timely critique of the present. By Yen-Rong Wong.'

'Queensland Theatre’s First Casualty takes an unvarnished look at the costs of the war in Afghanistan. By Yen-Rong Wong.'

'Hollywood has a storied history of tapping white actors to play Asian roles, traditionally in yellowface and now by simply “reimagining” them as white. It hides behind the capitalist claim of “marketability” – the notion that people don’t pay to see movies with Asian leads or casts.' (Introduction)   

'Suzie Miller’s powerful one-woman play Prima Facie explores how sexual assault victims are let down by the legal system.'

'It’s difficult to describe what it’s like to be raised in a Chinese family, especially when you are surrounded by markers of Western society. There is no such thing as talking back to your parents or refusing to do what they say. As a child, I never went to sleepovers. During my teenage and young adult years, I felt increasingly trapped in my own home. Everything I did was scrutinised; my parents never seemed to take into account my wants or needs. I found myself grasping for any scrap of independence, usually through lying or stealing or a combination of the two. As children, we are continually told that adults do things to protect us, especially when they are things we don’t particularly like. But when does protection morph into something uglier? When does it smother us, as if our agency has been stripped from us?' (Introduction)

'Yellow might be a simple colour—the third colour of the rainbow—but it means different things to different people. For some, it conjures up the image of daffodils, for others, the Kraft cheese singles wrapped in plastic that were the staple of every primary school kid’s lunchbox in the 1990s and early 2000s. For others still, it might be the doors of the Queensland Rail trains, ever slow to open, ever fast to close. In colour psychology, the right yellow can increase optimism, self-esteem, confidence, friendliness, creativity. However, the wrong yellow can result in feelings of fear, irrationality and anxiety.' (Introduction)

'Behind the dad jokes, Queensland Theatre’s The Holidays is an ambitious play about family connection through dark times. By Yen-Rong Wong.'

'I am a child of Malaysian-Chinese parents, but was born and raised in Australia. Throughout my childhood (and, to be honest, even now), I never truly felt comfortable within the categories of “Malaysian,” “Chinese,” or “Australian.” I languished in the hyphenated mess that was Malaysian-Chinese-Australian, afraid i would never truly belong. so when I encountered the term “diaspora,” i felt something inside me breathe a sigh of relief. but even though I had a name for what I was feeling, it didn’t necessarily resolve my confusion around my identity.' (Introduction)