Love in Two Languages: Actor Nicole Chan Reads Poetry and Prose

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Hello Creatives,

A literary journey through two languages awaits in our first guest reader episode of 2024, featuring British-born Hong Kong Chinese actor Nicole Chan. With warmth and artistry, Nicole shares works that have deeply resonated with her since her A-level studies, centred on the timeless theme of love.

The episode unfolds like a carefully curated anthology, beginning with Li Bai's "Quiet Night Thoughts" delivered in both Cantonese and English—a gentle meditation on moonlight and homesickness that immediately transports listeners. Nicole then guides us through Western literary classics, including Shakespeare's emotionally complex Sonnet 34 and Shelley's expansive "The Cloud," where nature itself becomes an expressive character.
Her reading of Wordsworth's beloved "Daffodils" captures the quiet joy that memories of beauty can bring, while Emily Brontë's "Moonlight, Summer Moonlight" offers a tranquil nighttime scene that complements the earlier moonlight imagery.

The episode culminates with Hemingway's short story "Cat in the Rain," where Nicole's nuanced delivery brings to life a deceptively simple narrative about an American woman in an Italian hotel who spots a cat trying to stay dry.
Through her performance, the story's undercurrents of longing, identity, and unfulfilled desires rise to the surface, leaving listeners with much to contemplate. The story's conclusion—where the hotel keeper sends a cat to the woman's room—resonates with unexpected emotional power.

Whether you're a poetry lover, a literature student, or simply seeking a moment of beautiful language and reflection, this episode offers a cross-cultural exploration of human emotion through timeless texts.
Listen now and let Nicole Chan's readings remind you of literature's enduring power to connect us across time, language, and experience.

Follow Nicole: www.instagram.com/thenicolechan

Sleep Tight,

Florence x

The Music in this episode is Cozy Winter Days by Antony Catacoli.

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Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.