Emma Pei Yin on "When Sleeping Women Wake": Family History, WWII Hong Kong, and Writing Her Debut Novel

Debut Novel: "When Sleeping Women Wake"

• 📖 Emma Pei Yin discusses her debut novel, "When Sleeping Women Wake," a historical fiction set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during World War II.
• 🎯 The story follows a mother, daughter, and their maid who are torn apart by the invasion and strive to reunite.
• ✍️ The novel spans three years and eight months of the occupation, drawing heavily on family history and research.

Inspiration from Family History

• 🗣️ The novel was inspired by stories from Emma's grandfather, who spoke with anger and despair about the Japanese occupation.
• 🤫 Emma's grandmother, who was a baby during the war, was always quiet and refused to discuss anything Japanese-related, igniting Emma's desire to uncover her story.
• 📚 While many of her grandfather's accounts are included, the grandmother's personal experiences are largely fictionalized due to limited direct sharing.

Personal Journey and Writing Path

• 🇦🇺 Emma moved to Australia at 19 alone, initially studying marketing to please her parents before pursuing creative writing at 30.
• 💔 She shares the challenges of her relationship with her parents, including an eight-year period of no contact with her mother, which influenced the portrayal of loving and loyal mother-daughter relationships in her book.
• 💡 The act of writing the novel provided a sense of healing and fulfillment, allowing her to explore themes of connection and loyalty.

Research and Writing Process

• 🗺️ Extensive research was conducted, including delving into the East River Column Resistance and the experiences of civilians and internees.
• 💻 Due to being away from Hong Kong and the COVID-19 pandemic, research involved relying on memory, national archives, and academic papers.
• ⏳ The writing process began in 2019-2020, with the lockdown providing an unexpected opportunity to focus intensely on writing.

Literary Aspirations and Advice

• 📚 Emma is inspired by historical fiction, Chinese dramas, and historical figures like Anne Boleyn, appreciating the timeless nature of human relationships.
• ✍️ She is currently working on her next book, which is based on declassified government documents and a different historical period.
• 🌱 For aspiring authors, Emma advises to write consistently, even for just half an hour a day, rather than waiting for the 'perfect time'.