Chopsticks or Fork? Authors Jennifer Wong & Lin Jie Kong with Benjamin Law

Ever wondered how dim sims became an Aussie foodie icon?

Or why you can’t resist those crispy spring rolls, prawn toast, or the classic honey chicken?

Join us for an evening of culinary nostalgia and cultural discovery with author and comedian Jennifer Wong and co-author Lin Jie Kong

They will be in conversation with author and brodcaster and Benjamin Law, looking at the delicious bond between Chinese cuisine and Australian culture.

They’ll dive into their book, Chopsticks or Fork?, and unravel the journeys of Chinese-Australian families who’ve shaped our local dining scene.

Whether you’re a die-hard foodie, a fan of heartwarming family stories, or just someone who can’t resist a good spring roll, this event is for you.

Come for the fun, the flavours, and a sprinkle of history as we celebrate the delicious bond between Chinese cuisine and Aussie culture.

Copies of Chopsticks or Fork? will be available to purchase on the night.

Event Details:

Where: Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre

80 Rickard Rd (corner of Chapel and Rickard Road), Bankstown NSW 2200

When: Friday 18 October

6.00pm – 8.00pm

Cost: $5.00

Space is limited and reservations are essential.

Please contact 9707 9708 for more information regarding seating and additional accessibility requirements needed.

Accessibility Information:

Canterbury-Bankstown Library is committed to providing inclusive library services and programs. Please email libraryprograms@cbcity.nsw.gov.au.

Our event venues are physically accessible with lift access, accessible bathrooms as well as parking spots and wheelchair seating available for your convenience.

About the Author:

Wordplay-loving food enthusiast Jennifer Wong is a writer, comedian, and presenter of Chopsticks or Fork? (ABC). She’s a columnist for The Guardian (Jennifer Wong’s Class Act), and curator and host of FEAST, a storytelling event about how we eat and how we live. Her humorous essays and reporting about food, culture, and mental health have been published by ABC Everyday, ABC News, The Guardian, Monocle, SBS Food, SBS News, and The Big Issue. Jennifer’s comedy in English and Cantonese has been seen by millions online, and her stand-up shows have sold out around Australia.

Lin Jie Kong the co author of Chopsticks or Fork? She is also the producer and director of Chopsticks or Fork? the TV series. She has worked across many facets of television and digital content. She fell in love with films and television as a six-year old growing up in Sydney, Australia. To help her learn English, Lin Jie’s parents let her rent as many movies as she wanted from Blockbuster during the school holidays, which kick-started a lifelong obsession with telling stories.

About the Moderator:

Benjamin Law is the author of The Family Law (2010), Gaysia (2013), the Quarterly Essay Moral Panic 101 (2017) and editor of Growing Up Queer in Australia (2019).

Benjamin is also an AWGIE Award-winning screenwriter. He’s the co-executive producer, co-creator and co-writer of the Netflix comedy-drama Wellmania (2023), playwright of Torch the Place (2020), and creator and co-writer of three seasons of the award-winning TV series The Family Law (2016–2019). He has a PhD in creative writing and cultural studies from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Every week, Benjamin interviews public figures for Good Weekend. He hosted ABC TV’s two-part feature documentary on Chinese-Australian history Waltzing the Dragon (2019). He has also written for over 50 publications in Australia and beyond—including the Monthly, frankie, Guardian, Monocle and Australian Financial Review—and is a literary scout for Hachette Australia.