GILLIAN BICKLEY has published many books with Proverse (as well as with other publishers). She has taught at the University of Hong Kong, the University of Lagos (Nigeria), and the University of Auckland (New Zealand); and recently completed twenty-two years as Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature,Hong Kong Baptist University. She has been an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong.
Four of her poetry collections have received Project Grants from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and she has also received support from the Council of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust.
From time to time, she teaches "Writing Life Stories" at the University of Hong Kong SPACE.
See her Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JWXNV
In July 2014 and July 2016, Gillian Bickley was an invited poet at the 20th Poetry festival at Curtea d'Arges, Romania. See photos and notes.
A video of her presentation at the Proverse Readers' Club, supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council, can be viewed on youtube, at the following link: https://youtu.be/8blrYkrokmw
SOME REVIEWS
Perceptions
Chan Yee Shan writes, "It has a vivid personal touch, characteristically descriptive of the poet's experiences and sensations as well as a unique sense of time, coloured with a life course of thirty years." Chan Yee Shan review.
Cairns Media writes: "This 52-poem collection addresses universal topics in a thoughtful manner using common sense that most readers can appreciate. Often they may nod in agreement, for example, that “the aim of life is to develop our souls”. At other moments, most will react differently, shaking their heads in vehement objection. " For the full review, google "Cairns Media". For the time being the review is on the reviews page. Later it will be transferred to the "Archives".
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China Suite and other Poems
"The poems gave me a clear and realistic impression of parts of life in Hong Kong, which of course I don't know at all, and the real simplicity of language and apparent simplicity of structure, more profound than at first they seemed, I found pleasing." -- Personal communication to the Author,28 February 2010.
Review by Mia Ball in Word Matters: China Suite by Gillian Bickley (click link to see extract).
Review in, "Ways of Seeing and Remembering: A Review of Three Poetry Collections" by Hilary Chan Sz-Shan, Asian Cha, an Asian Literary Journal, February 2010:
http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=574&Itemid=234
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SELECTED EVENTS
Saturday, 30 April 2017, Gillian Bickley spoke at the Proverse Readers' Club at Dymocks Books and Cafe, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong about In Time of War, which contains the diary entries, talks, drawings and memorabilia of Lt. Cmdr Henry C.S. Collingwood-Selby, R.N. (1898-1992), which she co-edited with his son, Richard Collingwood-Selby.
In her talk she highlighted what it reveals about Hong Kong life in the year before the Fall of Hong Kong, daily life in a prison-of-war camp, and the situation of a single man, separated from his wife and children for several years.
Verner Bickley ably assisted by reading selections from Harry Selby's diaries and essays.
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Friday, 13 November 2015, at a Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong event, Author Gillian Bickley introduced In Time of War, the non-fiction book about one man's experiences in pre-war Hong Kong and as a POW in Hong Kong, which she co-edited with Richard Collingwood-Selby.
Saturday, 10 October 2015, Gillian Bickley spoke to the Friends of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong
at the Headquarters of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, UK.
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Gillian Bickley participated as an invited poet in the International Festival, "Poetry Nights", held from 9-15 July 2014 in Romania
and was awarded a prize.
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Gillian Bickley introduced her new poetry collection, "Perceptions" to a friendly group of summer poets, fiction writers, and friends on 5 July 2012 at a session of the poetry-group, OutLoud, held at the Hong Kong Festival Fringe Club.
Poet Viki Holmes MC-d . Thanks to Viki herself, Akin Jeje, Vaughan Rapatahana, Eddie Tay (with young son, Titus Tay), and Xu Xi for reading and support. "Perceptions" is available inHong Kong bookstores, online, and internationally.
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GILLIAN BICKLEY gave a reading from her poetry collection, "Perceptions", at Kubrick, Yaumatei, inKowloon,Hong Kong. Moderators: Polly Ho, Adam Cheung,FlorenceNg. There was pleasant and interesting discussion with and among audience members. Click the link to see Polly Ho's report of the event:
http://kubrickpoems.blogspot.hk/2012/06/perceptions.html
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INTERVIEW WITH STACEY RODDA
Proverse Publisher, Gillian Bickley, was interviewed by Stacey Rodda, on "Sunday Morning on 4", RTHK, about the International Proverse Prize and Proverse Hong Kong World Books. Listen to the interview: RADIO INTERVIEW
In Time of War the diary entries, talks, drawings and memorabilia of Lt. Cmdr Henry C.S. Collingwood-Selby, R.N. (1898-1992),
