Helena Lee Interviewed by Adam Rutherford

Harper’s Bazaar features director and founder of East Side Voices Helena Lee introduces a new set of essays that highlight the lives and experiences of people of East and Southeast Asian origin in Britain today and the challenges they face.

The collection, edited by Lee, features original essays and poetry from celebrities, prize-winning literary stars and new writers including Romalyn Ante, Tash Aw, June Bellebono, Gemma Chan, Mary Jean Chan, Catherine Cho, Tuyen Do, Will Harris, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Claire Kohda, Katie Leung, Amy Poon, Naomi Shimada, Anna Sulan Masing, Sharlene Teo, Zing Tsjeng and Andrew Wong. The stories range from the NHS frontline to the set of a Harry Potter film, a London restaurant and a spirit festival in Myanmar. They challenge racial stereotypes and examine questions of heritage and identity.

A strong, compelling, and quietly beautiful collection of stories that have gone untold for too long, from voices that have too often been sidelined from the artistic mainstream. Jonathan Liew

Lee is responsible for Harper’s Bazaar’s arts and culture coverage. She is also founder of the East Side Voices platform that celebrates East and Southeast Asian talent in Britain today. Here she talks to science writer, broadcaster and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford.