Matthew is a scholar and writer of fiction and nonfiction. His historical research explores the impact of global race science and eugenics on the formation of political and personal identity. He has published multiple prize-winning articles on these topics as they relate to Hong Kong and China.

His debut novel, Sunset at Lion Rock, won the 2023 International Proverse Prize and was published in 2024 (Proverse Hong Kong, distributed by CUHK Press). An earlier version was shortlisted for the 2022 Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction. His work has been featured by RTHK and showcased at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Visit his website for more information.

RESEARCH

Matthew’s current project examines the conceptual emergence of “race-mixing” in China from 1895 to 1949, and its central but critically understudied role in the formation of the Chinese nation-state. A monograph, tentatively entitled To Mix or Not to Mix: The Making of the Chinese Race, 1895-1949, has been accepted by Brill pending peer-review.

Research Interests

• History of Race
• History of Science
• Citizenship and Identity
• Modern China
• Hong Kong History
• Critical Mixed Race Studies

TEACHING AND COURSES TAUGHT

• HIST2161 Making Race