The 70's Biweekly: Social Activism and Alternative Cultural Production in 1970s Hong Kong

Taking The 70's Biweekly--an independent youth publication in 1970s Hong Kong--as the main thread, this edited collection investigates an unexplored trajectory of Hong Kong's cultural and artistic production in the 1970s. The 70's Biweekly stands out from many other independent magazines with its unique blending of radical political theories, social activism, avant-garde art, and local literature. By taking the magazine as a node of social and cultural activism from and around which actions, debates, community, and artistic practices are formed, this book fills gaps in the study of how young Hong Kong cultural producers carved out an alternative space to speak out against established authorities.

Split into three parts, The 70's Biweekly provides readers with a panoramic view of the political and cultural activism in Hong Kong during the 1970s, featuring writings on art and film, and interviews with former founders and contributors that reflect on how their participation led them to engage ideologically with their activism and community.

“This unique collection represents a very valuable addition to the cultural history of the 1970s in Hong Kong and globally. While the journal 70’s Biweekly serves as a connecting thread, the volume in fact has broad ramifications, documenting the political, intellectual, and cultural struggles of the anticolonial and incipient democracy movement in Hong Kong.”

—Sebastian Veg, École des hautes études en sciences sociales

“The 70’s Biweekly was significant and impactful in Hong Kong in the early 1970s. It was an influential cultural and political platform during the early stage of the development of social movements in the colony. An attempt to examine the publication and its wider impacts will further enrich the body of literature on Hong Kong society and culture.”

—Lui Tai-lok, The Education University of Hong Kong