The “Poetry Workshop” of Chuangjian Academy and Creative Writing in Hong Kong

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The emergence of creative writing workshops in Hong Kong can be traced back to the “Poetry Workshop” organized by the Chuangjian Academy in the 1960s. Its founder, Dai Tian who came back from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, introduced the discussion-oriented teaching method to creative writing courses. The liberal pedagogy based on open exchanges and engagements did not only create a strong impact on students’ learning experiences in the “Poetry Workshop” but it also influenced the development of many later creative writing classes in Hong Kong. In reference to the archival works and the interviews of the participants in the “Poetry Workshop” in the 1960s, this presentation explores the origin of such teaching methods in Hong Kong.