Shakespeare Between Worlds: Portals and Pathways—7th Conference of the Asian Shakespeare Association
Hong Kong, 12-14 June 2026
Shakespeare today exists across and between multiple worlds. After centuries of circulation in Asia, his works inhabit diverse locales and cultural formations in constantly shifting forms, fully embedded yet never contained. Neither wholly virtual nor strictly embodied, historically distant yet urgently present, Shakespeare continues to thrive through performance, pedagogy, and critical thought. Asian Shakespeare scholarship has both interrogated and celebrated this transnational vitality, foregrounding new constellations of artistic practice, collaboration, and cultural exchange.
Yet what once seemed self-evident can no longer be taken for granted. The portals Shakespeare has opened—linking geographies, cultures, politics, artistic practices, and media—are increasingly fragile in the face of contemporary challenges. In this context, the Asian Shakespeare Association invites scholars to Hong Kong to reflect on both recent developments and enduring questions in Shakespeare studies in Asia and beyond, and to reaffirm the importance of sustained dialogue.
Organized in conjunction with the Tang Shu Wing Theatre Studio’s Hong Kong International Shakespeare Festival, the conference will bring together scholars, students, and practitioners for an event that integrates rigorous scholarly exchange with the opportunity to experience outstanding international Asian Shakespeare performances.