Angela Hui (1991) is a Welsh journalist and author. Her memoir Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter (2022) was shortlisted for the 2023 Jhalak Prize.

Angela Hui
Hui at the British Library in 2023
Born1991
Beddau, Wales
Alma mater
Years active2015–present
Websitewww.angelahui.co.uk

Early life

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Hui was born 1991 in Beddau,[1] a Welsh former mining village next to Pontypridd, to a father from Sai Kung and a mother from Shenzhen.[2] Her parents had left Hong Kong for Britain in 1985, working at Chinese takeaways in Bournemouth, Reading, and London[3] before settling in Beddau, where they opened their own takeaway called Lucky Star in 1988. It operated out of a converted terrace house on Commercial Street, and Hui lived above the shop with her two older brothers and helped out from the age of 8.[4] Their relatives also opened takeaways in Pontlottyn, Bargoed and Blackwood.[5]

Hui graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism. She won a scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts (MA) in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. During her time at Cardiff, she was part of the magazine Feast.[6]

Career

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In 2020, Hui joined HuffPost UK as a lifestyle reporter, writing about food, travel, and other topics.[7] In 2021, Hui became a food and drink editor at Time Out London.[8] She also contributed to the likes of Eater London, Vice, The Independent, and gal-dem.[9]

In 2022, Trapeze (an Orion Publishing Group imprint) acquired the rights to publish Hui's debut book and memoir Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter,[10] delving into Hui's experiences, positive, negative and bittersweet,[11] growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales, which her parents sold in 2018.[12] Hui had written the memoir during the COVID-19 lockdown, and said the rise in anti-East Asian racism at the time was a motivating factor.[13] Georgina Leung provided the illustrations.[14] The book also incorporates Cantonese recipes.[15][16] Takeaway was shortlisted for the 2023 Jhalak Prize and a Fortnum & Mason Award in the Debut Food Book category.[17][18]

Bibliography

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  • Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter (2022)

References

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  1. ^ Hui, Angela (17 April 2019). "Hong Kong Will Always Have My Heart". Vice. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
  2. ^ "#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Angela Hui". Celestial Peach. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  3. ^ "The Chinese in Wales - The tale of two families". Our Welsh Heritage. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. ^ Evitts, Jared (30 July 2022). "In pictures: My life growing up in a Chinese takeaway". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  5. ^ Hill, Jonathon (6 August 2022). "'I grew up in a Chinese takeaway. Racism was part and parcel of life'". Wales Online. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Feast Magazine launches". Alt.Cardiff. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  7. ^ Strutt, Andrew (15 April 2020). "Freelance journalist Angela Hui joins the HuffPost on their life desk". Response Source. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Time Out London appoints food and drink writer". Diary Directory. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. ^ "How I Write: Angela Hui - Q&A and Reading". Arvon. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  10. ^ Fraser, Katie (9 February 2022). "Trapeze orders Hui's debut memoir Takeaway". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  11. ^ Thomas, Megan (27 July 2022). "BEHIND THE COUNTER: Angela Hui's sweet & sour tales from a Rhondda Chinese takeaway". Buzz. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  12. ^ Wang, Ian (2 August 2022). "Growing up behind the counter of a Chinese takeaway in Wales". Huck. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  13. ^ Goh, Katie (3 November 2022). "Angela Hui: The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes spurred me on". Prospect. Retrieved 2 October 2024.(subscription required)
  14. ^ Wickes, Jade (28 July 2022). "My Media Diet: Angela Hui on her debut novel, Takeaway". The Face. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Journalist's 'eye-opening' book about growing up in a Chinese takeaway in Wales". Nation Cymru. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  16. ^ Skinner, Mark (15 July 2022). "Angela Hui on Britain's Relationship with Chinese Food". Waterstones. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  17. ^ Kemp-Habib, Alice (11 April 2023). "Fortnum & Mason reveals shortlist for Food and Drink Awards 2023". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  18. ^ Spanoudi, Melinda (18 April 2023). "Alabanza, Hui and Joseph shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 1 June 2023.