Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

The index of the database currently has some 500 entries and w i l l continue to expand. The successful operation of this project has relieved many scholars of much tedious research into primary sources. They can now plunge themselves into a sea of words, effortless finding what they need, and saving their energy for more sophisticated and in-depth studies. Prof. Lo said this is a very good beginning. And because the websit e is maintained by the ULS , all precious data w i l l remain in the University system, and copyrights can be conveniently obtained, allowing readers to have access to the originals. Prof. Lo Wai-luen and Hong Kong Literature Data collection is a tedious job. Way before we are able to bask in the luxuries brought about by the Internet, Prof. Lo Wai-luen slowly and laboriously went through thousands of card catalogues, verifying them and examining their interrelationships, in order to uncover and salvage valuable data. Her efforts have laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong literary history research. What motivated her to work so hard? 'I found out HKU had opened a Hong Kong Archiv e when I attended their extramural classes in the mid-70s. The archive has information on Hong Kong society and economy, but none, the teacher told me, on literature. This came as a shock to me. Famous writers such as Mao Dun, Yeh Ling-feng, Xiao Hong, Dai Wangshu had all left their footprints in Hong Kong. Why was such information not recorded? I decided to take it upon myself to meticulously collect relevant information from newspapers and magazines. To gain access into the HKU library, I even enrolled in its graduate programme. Every day after work, I would go to the HKU library to read newspapers, I read every page of every newspaper in that library, I took notes. In order to have more time for research, I quit my job and became a teaching assistant for half the pay,' says Prof. Lo. Prof. Lo Wai-luen compiling data on Hong Kong literature in her study Hong Kong Culture: A Multiplicity of Colours 5