Biography

 

Born in the UK, Matthew Harrison is a researcher based in Hong Kong.  After studying English at Oxford University Matthew had a brief spell as an English teacher in Germany, and returned to London intending to stay there.  But then he met his wife-to-be and they decided to go to Hong Kong.  Intending to stay in Hong Kong for two years, Matthew has now stayed twenty.  He and his wife have two children.

Matthew’s writing focuses on Hong Kong life.  Urban life, office politics, and cross-cultural romance are the staple themes of his stories, in which tragedy and comedy are never too far apart.

His publications include:

• Asia-Pacific Securities Markets, 4th edition 2003, Sweet and Maxwell. (Non-fiction)
• The Sound of Silence (short story) was included in the Hong Kong Writers Circle anthology, Haunting Tales (2005).
• Our Little Brown Brother, Well Met (short stories) and The Mare (sonnet) are included in the Hong Kong Writers Circle anthology Sweat and the City (published in 2006)
• Queen’s Road Central and Other Stories, short story collection, 2006.
• Jessica’s Choice, a novel, 2008.

Jessica’s Choice is Matthew’s new novel. Set in Hong Kong in 2002/03, Jessica’s Choice is about a young woman’s journey from delusion to self-knowledge. Unlucky in love, Jessica Wong returns to Hong Kong to devote herself to a mission - converting the territory’s corporates to social responsibility. Yet she becomes entangled with divorcee Errol and her mother’s admirer Nathan. Mainland analyst Liu Rong seems to offer a way out. But misunderstandings mount into crisis, and Jessica must make a choice.

Matthew also likes painting and drawing: still lifes and Hong Kong scenes.

 

Inspiration

“That which is right around us we always judge to be everyday and boring; that which is to delight us we seek far away. [But] ...The wonderful utopia often lies right at our feet.”

— Ludwig Tieck, 1795 (Quoted in Norbert Wolf’s Friedrich, Taschen, page 88)

Although I have the opportunity to travel far away, my main focus is to explore through art the ‘utopia at our feet’ here in Hong Kong.

 

Smile Magazine

 

Matthew was interviewed for ‘A novel city’ featured in the January 2011 issue of Smile Magazine. Read about Matthew’s affair with Hong Kong here.

 

Booksigning

 

 

Jessica’s Choice new book signing at Dymocks Bookshop

International Finance Centre, Hong Kong

Thursday 13th December, 2007.

 

Radio Interviews

 

1. Matthew was interviewed by Natalie Haughton on the RTHK Radio 3 Morning Brew programme on 12th March 2008. If you missed the broadcast, or would like to listen again, just click the play button below (20 minutes):

 

 

2. Matthew was interviewed by Phil Whelan on the RTHK Radio 3 Morning Brew program on the 24th March, 2006. If you missed the broadcast, or would like to listen again, just click the play button below (15 minutes):

 

 

Broadcast copyright Radio Television Hong Kong, and reproduced with their kind permission, March 2008.

 

And something else — Goalkeeper training

 

Matthew likes to play soccer as a goalkeeper when there's a chance. Here is his video demonstrating goalkeeper training techniques.