On 14^th October, 2024, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau hosted a writing journey sharing session, inviting an award-winning Hong Kong writer, Ms. Sonia Leung, to share her epic journey of writing and publishing her memoir, The Girl Who Dreamed: A Hong Kong Memoir of Triumph against the Odds. This book is a memoir of the author’s childhood spent in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. During the sharing session, Leung shared with the participants reading, writing, and walking, as mentioned in the book, helped restore her mental health over the years after experiencing traumatic events, and thereby free herself from the darkness of the past. She encouraged students to re-examine their perspectives on stressful events in life, thus allowing them to discover a different side of themselves and see a broader world.

“What an inspiration to learn that adversity in life, such as mental health challenges, can be overcome using the power of words: reading and writing. In other words, words can help to inspire and uplift our heart, mind and spirit.” – Prof. Siew Huat Kong (College Affiliate–FBA)

“Hearing Sonia speak about overcoming childhood trauma and finding healing through writing and creativity opened my eyes to the transformative power of storytelling. The engaging Q&A session provided a platform for the author, professors, and students to reflect on how we can all learn from difficult experiences.” – Onofre Hoi (Year 3 Student, FLL)

“I was deeply moved by Sonia’s story, and I admired the way she found in the writing process a way to overcome her traumas and finding some inner peace. After hearing her writing journey, something shifted within me. I felt inspired to reconnect with that younger me, daydreaming with pen and paper. I feel ready to get back to writing. Back to myself.” –  Tatiana Rodriguez (Year 2 Student, FST)

“From Sonia’s sharing, I learned that writing can document people’s lives and serve as a vessel for their experiences. The style and structure of writing are not as important as the genuine emotions that can be shared and expressed.” — Adele Feng (Year 1 Student, FHS)