We chat with debut author K. X. Song about An Echo In The City, which follows two star-crossed teenagers falling in love during the Hong Kong protests. An Echo In The City is now available in the US and releases in August in the UK.
Hi there! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is K. X. Song and I’m an author of contemporary young adult fiction, currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I enjoy telling stories that touch on themes of collective memory and history, and the way that memory shifts with each retelling. Although I write across different genres, all my works center individuals on the margins–I often find their perspectives to be the most compelling.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I don’t remember the exact moment I became a writer, but what I remember as a kid is scratching out stories on the backs of paper towels and napkins, in restaurants or trains or even at school. As a kid I spent many aimless hours in Shanghai, with my grandparents, where the only English language books available to me were long classics like War and Peace—not exactly appealing to a child! So I started writing my own stories to amuse myself and my siblings.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I read it when I was nine, which was probably much too young, but my older sister read it first and said I was “too immature to read it”, which of course, made me stop at nothing to read it. I ended up loving its exploration of female friendship and power, though at the time I couldn’t entirely understand its significance. It’s one of those books you can re-read and keep discovering new facets of the story. When I was a college student, I ended up becoming an assistant for the author, Lisa See, who was perfectly lovely and brilliant.
Your debut novel, An Echo in the City, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Romantic, tumultuous, curious, bittersweet, hopeful.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a love story with plenty of romance (and pining), but also a deeper look into the city of Hong Kong and its complex history, culture, and people. The novel follows two very different points of views. Kai is an artist and police officer in training from mainland China, and Phoenix is a student protester and photographer who grew up between Hong Kong and America. The two are opposites in many ways–Kai is indecisive, Phoenix is prone to action; Kai is reserved, Phoenix is outspoken–and yet, despite their many differences, the two find themselves drawn to each other as their paths cross and collide during the Hong Kong protests.
Where did the inspiration for An Echo in the City come from?
I was first inspired to write AN ECHO IN THE CITY while I was in Hong Kong in 2019. My sister was involved in organizing with the Chinese University of Hong Kong; through them, I met many of their friends involved in coordinating demonstrations and rallies. Talking to the people on the ground made me realize the scale and importance of this movement. But it wasn’t until after I flew to Shanghai, and then the States, and saw the conflicting news reports from both English and Chinese media that I began to really consider writing a novel that could offer more nuance and depth to the story–particularly one many of my western friends weren’t familiar with.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I do have a favorite scene! I can’t say exactly what it is because it involves spoilers, but here’s a hint: it’s where the title of the book appears. 😊
As for favorite characters, I can’t play favorites between my two protagonists–it feels a bit like a parent choosing between their two kids! I will say Kai’s voice came easier for me than Phoenix’s. He is perhaps more similar to me: prone to fits of melancholy, introspective, someone who needs a lot of time and finger-wringing before making a decision. Meanwhile, Phoenix is impulsive, bold, someone who takes up a lot of space in the room. I loved exploring both their characters equally, but see more of myself in Kai.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey of getting An Echo in the City published?
I got the idea for the novel in the summer of 2019 in Hong Kong. Then, after going to Shanghai that fall, and then to the States, it was jarring to see the differences between how the protests were talked about in both American media and in mainland Chinese media, versus how they were talked about in Hong Kong. I wanted to try to bridge that gap and write something that added nuance and depth to the ongoing international conversation. I started writing the book in the fall of 2019, but didn’t get serious about drafting until the pandemic hit in 2020. I revised the book with my agent, then sold the book at the end of 2020, and went through several rounds of edits with my editors from 2021 to 2022. And now the book is coming out in 2023!
Throughout the publication journey, the idea changed and didn’t change. Certain things like Phoenix’s childhood in America, I added to make her more relatable to American readers. Other aspects of the novel, such as Kai and Phoenix’s relationship dynamic, the ensemble cast of characters, and the ending remained largely the same.
What’s next for you?
My next project is quite a departure from AN ECHO IN THE CITY. It’s an adult fantasy, set in a thrilling yet dangerous world of beasts and spirits. That’s all I can say for now, but I can’t wait to share it with the world!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I love this question! I highly recommend PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING by Randy Ribay, for a masterclass in character development and an incisive exploration of contemporary Filipino politics and culture. A more recent release–AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW by Zoulfa Katouh –which is the most beautiful, heartbreaking YA debut, about a young pharmacy student caught amidst the Syrian Revolution.
