The Common Press is excited to host ‘A Hakka Woman’ by  Di Lebowitz on Sunday, 21st April from 4 pm -6 pm. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Hong Kong.In “A Hakka Woman,” Paupau battles early onset dementia while clinging to memories of a harrowing past: sold as a child bride, enduring abuse and poverty in post-war Hong Kong.  Retold through her granddaughter Di Lebowitz, this poignant tale illuminates resilience, womanhood, and the enduring power of maternal love in the face of tyranny. Paupau’s story defines what it means to be a Hakka woman.

From the author of ‘The Marks Left on Her’ comes another gut-wrenching and gripping story…a strength of the narrative and a testament to the love the author has for her grandmother 

– Emma Pei Yin, author of ‘When Sleeping Women Wake.

About the book

Everyone who knew her as Ah Ping is now dead.
I know her only as Paupau – Cantonese for ‘maternal grandmother’.

Paupau is forgetting many things. She can’t remember what day of the week it is, what she had for breakfast or even how old she is as early onset dementia slowly eats away at her brain.But some things Paupau can never forget, even if she tried. The burning smell of her village after the Japanese destroyed her home in Southern China, or her mother’s pained face as seven-year-old Ah Ping is sold to the Tang family as a child bride. Torn from her family and imprisoned in Tang House on an island off Hong Kong, Ah Ping endures decades of physical and emotional abuse, sexual violence and abject poverty. 

Howdoes Ah Ping learn not to succumb to the tyrants in her life and lose her capacity for love? Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Hong Kong, A Hakka Woman is a remarkable and heart-wrenching tale about survival, womanhood and the power of a mother’s
love. Retold through her granddaughter Di Lebowitz, Paupau’s story defines what it means to be a Hakka woman.

About the Author

Di Lebowitz is a diasporic Hong Konger with Jewish heritage. She was born and raised in pre-1997 Hong Kong but has spent most of her adult life in London. She holds a BA in Religion, Philosophy, and Ethics, a PGCE, and an MA in Religious Education from King’s College London. Her work has been published in the Times and Red Magazine. Additionally, her poem, “Subversion,” appeared in The Transformative Power of Tattoo anthology by Guts Publishing. When not writing, Di is a qualified full-time Krav Maga Instructor with Krav Maga London and operates her own kids’ self-defense school. She holds the distinction of being the first female Krav Maga Expert Level in England. “A Hakka Woman” serves as the prologue to her highly acclaimed memoir, “The Marks Left on Her.”

• Doors open at 4pm – Bookshop entrance.
• Discussion, Reading & Q & A from 4:15pm – Downstairs*
• Signings and sales of books  from 5pm  –  6pm – Bookshop
• Bring your own booze – The bookshop will be serving hot and non-alcoholic drinks.

*N:B – Please note unfortunately, downstairs isn’t wheelchair accessible.

Ticket link