Another of my rants on mental health just found its way into the China Daily! Big thanks to editor Jessica Chen. This one delves into narcissism, a topic I’ve been reflecting on a little too often since producing To Love A Narcissist.
I love connecting with established and emerging visual artists as art editor for the HKWC‘s quirky lit mag! Issue 9 of The Apostrophe on the theme of ‘ROOTS‘ featured a cracking cover by Bethan Clark and stand-out artwork by Sai Pradhan and Ilos Ilyas Elias Kirkan, who has also been Mental Ideas‘ most prolific contributor in quite some time!
The theme for Issue 10 was PASSION. This one featured an exquisite cover by Ilos Ilyas Elias Kirkan and more delectable artwork by Jade Bryant (cover artist Issue 1), Anthony Roussell, Carl Scharwath, Susan Pollet, Tiziana Rasile and Ricky Sadiosa. If you’re passionate about art and would like to submit to our next issue (theme is ‘FLEX’), please reach out!
Despite the Hong Kong weather’s best efforts to drown me on the way there and back, the launch of Mind HK’s summer 2025 exhibition Listen to the Beat at Our Gallery was EPIC – and PACKED!!! Congrats Mind HK for curating an unbeatable exhibition of ambassadors’ work! My contribution is among the handwritten letters on display. I also shared a bit of my story as part of a panel. If you’re looking for an inspiring, cool and DRY place to hang in Hong Kong this summer, swing by! The exhibition is open until 15 Aug.
Excited to be one of the ambassadors taking part in Mind HK’s summer 2025 exhibition at Our Gallery, Wan Chai. Last summer’s Here and Now exhibition at the 3812 Gallery was epic! This one is called Listen to the Beat. My contribution is a handwritten letter. The last thing I wrote by hand was my signature – it was declined by my bank as illegible.
I’ll also be sharing my story in a panel alongside two other ambassadors this coming SAT (2 Aug) from 3.30-5pm. Tix are free but you must sign up! The exhibition is open 1-15 Aug. If you’re sweating in the city this summer, swing by!
To Love A Narcissist will premiere at the Ariano International Film Festival 2025! The Italian premiere will be held at the Auditorium Lina Wertmüller di Ariano Irpino at 8.30pm Aug 1. The festival rewards filmmakers who have made a significant contribution to the history of Italian and international cinema and is a huge honour for Raff, whose family come from Ariano Irpino. A red carpet event Aug 3 will pay tribute to his work and be attended by some of the film’s stars: Lyndsey Marshal, Stephen Campbell-Moore and EP Sadie Frost. GRAZIE Ariano!
Next stops London and Hong Kong!
https://www.arianofilmfestival.it/2025/07/13/amare-un-narcisista-premiere-italiana/
To Love A Narcissist screened at the iconic Cinema Village in New York! The film was shown on the closing night of the Socially Relevant Film Festival 2025 and we were blown away by the emotional response to the film. Raff and I also had fun attending the festival’s opening night celebration at the historic National Arts Club in Gramercy Park.
This was the second time Contro Vento Films reached the competition stage of SRFF. We received the Jury Prize (Narrative Feature) for our viral bipolar love story Transference in 2020. It was an honour to be part of a diverse program of socially relevant films. Thanks to everyone who made it happen. We can’t wait for the next one!
https://www.ratedsrfilms.org/2025-program-narrative-features
I’m excited to share the ident for one of my two new podcasts! Thanks to artist Victoria Mae Martin, a creative dynamo so committed to her craft and our collaborations that she nearly lost a digit this week! But is it more comedy, more terror, or just more terrible comedy? No spoilers – you’ll have to dive in!
Comedy of Terrors is also the working title of a collection of my short stories and flash!
Couldn’t decide on a colour scheme so did 5 – that’s ADHD!
To Love A Narcissist was back in Sanctum, Soho, for another private screening 17 Feb at 7.30pm, where Raff announced Hollywood producer Ted Field joining our Contro Vento family as Executive Producer of our film, alongside Sadie Frost, and revealed exciting details of our upcoming screening in New York! 💜
I discovered I’d been nominated for a GHP Mental Health Award a few weeks ago for my contribution via Mental Ideas and Bipolar Hong Kong. Well, apparently I’ve won ‘Most Dedicated Mental Health Advocate 2025’ (Hong Kong)! 😂 🙏🏼
Thanks to everyone who’s given me a platform to rant and muse about mental health, especially Mind HK and RTHK. It’s a lovely way to celebrate the 10th birthday of Bipolar Hong Kong! 🇭🇰 🩷
Your opportunity to score tickets for the HK Lit Fest launch of the HKWC‘s 20th anniversary anthology Score has arrived – and ended, as tickets have already sold out!!! But please don’t let a trivial matter like no tickets put you off! Where there’s free tickets, there’s no-shows, so it’s DEFINITELY worth showing up for the 6pm event. If there’s space, you’ll be wafted in. If there’s not, you can still join us afterwards for a drink at speakeasy Dragonfly. I’ll be reading one of my ‘Two Shit Shorts’ (the actual title, not just me being modest).
Whether you’ve already got tix or chance it on the door, I hope to see you in the Jockey Club Theatre of the HK Fringe Cub from 6-7pm on Sun 2 March!
https://www.amazon.com/Score-Writers-Circle-Anniversary-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DZ32R7S5
https://bookazine.com.hk/products/score-the-hong-kong-writers-circle-anthology
