Jin Yong's martial arts novels are the common language of Chinese communities all over the world, and their popularity is enhanced by various film and television adaptations. This talk focuses on The Smiling, Proud Wanderer and discusses how Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's film and mainland Chinese producer Yu Zheng's television drama had "perversely" rewritten the original novel: Dongfang Bubai, a ugly self-castrated man, has been reshaped to become a legendary "queer icon" in Tsui's film and a "leftover lady" in Yu's television drama.

Conducted in Cantonese. Free admission by reservation. Reservation for the talk starts on 16 August 2019 (Friday) and can be registered online (https://www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/extension-activities/event-detail/150481/film-and-television-adaptations-of-jin-yong-s-novels) or made by calling the library. Seats are limited. Each person may reserve only one seat for each talk. First-come-first-served.