Dr Anna TSO Wing-bo （曹穎寶博士）

Dr Anna Tso graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a BA (Hons) in English and Comparative Literature, an MA in English Studies, an MA in Literary and Cultural Studies, and a PGDE in English Language Education (Secondary). Interested in the representations of gender identity in children’s fantasy fiction, she furthered her studies in England and obtained her PhD from the School of English, Drama, and Creative Studies at The University of Birmingham. She has held fellowships at The University of Newcastle, Australia, and the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, alongside a visiting research stay at the Hans Christian Andersen Centre at The University of Southern Denmark.

Prior to joining The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, she was an Associate Professor at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, where she was the Director of the Research Institute for Digital Culture and Humanities, as well as the Programme Director of the MA in Applied English Linguistics. Her core research and teaching interests encompass children’s literature, myths and fairy tales, Shakespeare, digital literacy, and applied linguistics. She has an extensive research record that includes serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) for 5 external and 7 internal funded research grants. Her academic work features 3 authored books, 5 special issues, and 9 edited volumes, along with more than 50 refereed book chapters, peer-reviewed journal papers, and reviews, including several in top-tier SJR-Q1 and Q2 journals. Overall, she has authored over 80 publications distributed across Asia, Russia, Europe, the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

She has served as a PhD external reviewer for The University of Newcastle, acted as a review panel member for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grants of the Canadian Government, and hosted the RTHK program titled “The Fairytale World of H.C. Andersen” (2025). Additionally, she is the founding editor of The Kaleidoscope Chronicle (2025 – present), associate editor for the Digital Culture and Humanities book series (Springer, 2017 – present), honorary president of the Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2026 – present), and monthly columnist for The Hong Kong Economic Journal.

In addition to her academic career, Dr. Tso is an award-winning children’s writer and editor. Her children’s book series, Hong Kong Stories (2017–2020), was heralded by the International Board on Books for Young People as an adventure “navigating life in Hong Kong” (Bookbird, 2021). She has also been a featured author at the Hong Kong International Young Readers’ Festival (2020) and an invited panel speaker at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (2026) organized by the Singapore Book Council.

🔗Research Output and Achievements

Awards, Honours and Fellowships

Fellowships

• 2025: Research Collaboration Fellowship, School of Education, The University of Newcastle, Australia
• 2019: Research Fellowship, International Youth Library, Munich, Germany (The world’s first and largest library for international children’s and youth literature)

Literary & Academic Awards (Selected)

• 2022: First Runner-up, Child’s Eye Award (United Kingdom), for Egyptian Hieroglyphs from A to Z (Manuscript)
• 2020: Second Prize (Digital Nonfiction), Eric Hoffer Book Award (U.S.A.), for Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching (2019)

Award Nominations (Selected)

• 2020: Montaigne Medal Finalist (U,S.A.), for Herstory (2019)
• 2020: Finalist, Wishing Shelf Book Awards, United Kingdom
• 2019: Nominee, Debbie Alvarez Memorial Award, Hong Kong

Publications

Edited Books (Selected)

• 2027: Tso, W. B., & Lau, L. C. (Eds). Shakespeare Transmedia: Translation, Adaptation, and Afterlives. London: Routledge. [Book contract secured.]

• 2026: Lau, L. C., & Tso, W. B. (Eds.). Reinventing Shakespeare: Translation, Adaptation, and Afterlives. London: Routledge. [In press.]

• 2025: Tso, W. B. (Ed.). The Fairytale World of Hans Christian Andersen. Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Publisher.

• 2023: Tso, W. B., Chan, W. W. L., Ng, S. K. K., Bai, T. S., & Lo, N. L. P. (Eds.). Critical Reflections on ICT and Education. Singapore: Springer, xii + 256 pp.

• 2022: Tso, W. B., Chan, C. K., Chan, W. W. L., Sidorko, P. E., & Ma, W. W. K. (Eds.). Digital Communication and Learning: Changes and Challenges. Singapore: Springer, xv + 400 pp.

• 2019: Tso, W. B. (Ed.). Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching. Singapore: Springer, xvi + 249 pp.

Authored Books (Selected)

• 2027: Lee, S., & Tso, W. B. Universal Themes in English, Chinese and Italian Short Stories from the Twentieth Century to the Present. Leiden and Boston, MA: Brill. [Book contract secured.]
  
  
• 2019: Tso, W. B., & Lee, P. W. Literary Approaches to the Short Story. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company Inc., viii + 197 pp.
  
  
• 2016: Tso, W. B., Ho, S. Y., & Chung, S. K. Academic Writing for Arts and Humanities Students. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education, x + 161 pp.
  
  
• 2016: Lau, L. C., & Tso, W. B. Teaching Shakespeare to ESL Students: The Study of Language Arts in Four Major Plays. Singapore: Springer, xxxii + 149 pp.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (Selected)

• 2026: Tso, W. B., & Lo, N. P. K. Multiple Selves: Daemons in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. [Under review.]
  
  
• 2026: Tso, W. B. Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Hong Kong 2017: A Jungian Interpretation? Prism: Theory and Chinese Modern Literature. [In press.]
  
  
• 2024: Tso, W. B. Gender Discourses in Grade 3 English eBooks on a Digital Library Platform. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 33, 29-62. 
  
  
• 2024: Tso, A. W. B. Challenges in Achieving Coherence and Cohesion: A Discourse Analysis of Chinese EFL Students’ Essays. Professional Discourse & Communication, 6(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.24833/2687-0126-2024-6-1-95-108
  
  
• 2019: Tso, A. W. B. Representations of the Queer: The Screening of Cross-dressing in Chinese Cinemas. The New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies.
  
  
• 2017: Tso, W. B. Repressed Sexual Modernity: A Case Study of Herbert Giles’ (1845 – 1935) Rendition of Pu Songling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (1880) in the late Qing. Acta Linguistica Asiatica, 7(2): 9 – 18.
  
  
• 2016: Tso, W. B. Teaching Shakespeare to Young ESL Learners in Hong Kong. Journal of Pedagogic Development. 6(2): 18 – 24.
  
  
• 2015: Tso, W. B., & Lee, P.W. Critical Discourse Analysis and Translation: A Comparative Study of Discourse and Ideology in Translated Versions of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Nordlit. 25: 505 – 517.
  
  
• 2015: Tso, W. B. Reflections on Blended Learning: A Case Study at the Open University of Hong Kong. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal. 10(1): 77 – 86.
  
  
• 2014: Tso, W. B. Female Cross-dressing in Chinese Literature Classics and Their English Versions. International Studies: Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal. 16(1): 111 – 124.
  
  
• 2014: Tso, W. B. Masculine Hegemony and Resistance in Chinese Language”. Writing from Below. 2(1): 1 – 15.
  
  
• 2014: Lee, P.W., & Tso, W. B. Delimit Imagination? A Comparison of Unabridged and Abridged Versions of Peter Pan. Interlitteraria. 19(1): 131 – 151.
  
  
• 2013: Tso, W. B. Transgressing the Gender Borders: the Subversive Re-inscription of Eve in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Crossroads: A Journal of English Studies. 2: 29 – 42.
  
  
• 2012: Tso, W. B. Representations of Monstrous-Feminine in the Selected Works of C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl and Philip Pullman. Libri & Liberi: Journal of Research on Children’s Literature and Culture. 1(2): 215 – 234.
  
  
• 2009: Tso, W. B. The Reinvention of the “Femmes Fatales” in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials (1995 – 2000) and its Chinese Translation. SPECTRUM: NCUE Studies in Language, Literature, Translation and Interpretation. 7: 49 – 63.
  
  
• 2007: Tso, W. B. Transgression in the Gender Representation in MacDonald’s Princess Books. The International Journal of Early Childhood. 39(2): 11 – 21.

Peer-reviewed Book Chapters (Selected)

• 2027: Tso, W. B. Future Gatekeepers of Children’s Literature: How English Majors Perceive Digital Poetry Adaptations. In Chan, A., Cheng, M. T., Chan, W. W. L., & Tso, W. B. (Eds). Edtech: Revolutionising Education Through Technology. Singapore: Springer. [Accepted.]
  
  
• 2027: Tso, W. B. Censoring Children’s Shakespeare: A Comparison of Unabridged and Abridged Versions of Othello. In W. B. Tso, & L. C. Lau (Eds.), Shakespeare Transmedia: Translation, Adaptation, and Afterlives. London: Routledge. [Forthcoming.]
  
  
• 2026: Tso, W. B. Female Voices and Gendered Discourses in Children’s Adaptations of Shakespeare. In L. C. Lau, & W. B. Tso (Eds.), Shakespeare Heterotopia: Translation, Adaptation, and Afterlives. London: Routledge. [In press.]
  
  
• 2026: Tso, W. B. Does Pride Matter for Kids? A Study of Chinese Readers’ Attitude Towards Gender Inclusive eBooks for Children. In H. H. W. Sit, A. Chan, W. B. Tso, & W. W. L. Chan (Eds.), The Vistas of Inclusive Innovations in Educational Communications and Technology: Opportunities and Challenges. Singapore: Springer. [In press.]
  
  
• 2026: Tso, W. B. Evaluating the Efficacy of Grading Literature Essays with ChatGPT. In M. Wong, & H. Wong (Eds.), Innovation and Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning: Research and Practice in the Digital Era (pp. 167-186). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
  
  
• 2025: Tso, W. B. The Life and Works of Hans Christian Andersen. In W. B. Tso (Ed.), The Fairytale World of Hans Christian Andersen (pp. 19-30). Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Publisher.
  
  
• 2025: Tso, W. B. The Little Mermaid. In W. B. Tso (Ed.), The Fairytale World of Hans Christian Andersen (pp. 31-44). Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Publisher.
  
  
• 2025: Tso, W. B. Questioning the Quality of AI-assisted Academic Essays: From the Perspectives of English Teachers and Postgraduate Students. In S. K. K. Ng, T. S. Bai, N. P. K. Lo, W. B. Tso, & W. W. L. Chan (Eds.), Transcending Boundaries in the Digital Age (pp. 189-202). Singapore: Springer.
  
  
• 2023: Tso, W. B. A Critical Review of the Gender Representation in Children’s eBooks on a Digital Reading Platform. In W. B. Tso, Wendy W. L. Chan, Steven K. K. Ng, Tiffany S. Bai, & Noble P. K. Lo (Eds.), Critical Reflections on ICT and Education (pp. 205-213). Singapore: Springer.
  
  
• 2023: Tso, W. B. Tragic Heroes. In S. T. Allison, J. K. Beggan, & G. R. Goethals (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Gewerbestrasse, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_449-1
  
  
• 2023: Tso, W. B. Teaching Shakespeare to EFL Students through Transmedia. In W. B. Tso, Steven K. K. Ng, Locky Law, & Tiffany S. Bai (Eds.), The Post-pandemic Landscape of Education and Beyond: Innovation and Transformation (pp. 19-29). Singapore: Springer.
  
  
• 2020: Tso, W. B. English Vocabulary Building via Language learning Apps: Voices from Hong Kong University Students and Teachers. In W. B. Tso, Alex C. K. Chan, Wendy W. L. Chan, Peter Edward Sidorko, & Will W. K. Ma (Eds.), Learning Environment and Design (pp. 281 – 291). Singapore: Springer.
  
  
• 2020: Tso, W. B. Divination or Death Traps? The Semiotic Language in Chinese Folklore and Fortune Telling. In Michael Lackner, Kwok-kan Tam, Monika Gänßbauer and Terry Yip (Eds.), Fate and Prognostication in the Chinese Literary Imagination (pp.177-195). Leiden: Brill.
  
  
• 2019: Tso, W. B., & Lau, M. Y. The Digital and Multimodal Art Experience: A Hong Kong Case Study. In W. B. Tso (Ed.), Digital Humanities and New Ways of Teaching (pp. 177 – 193). Singapore: Springer.
  
  
• 2018: Tso, W. B., & Lau, M. Y. An Explorative Study on the Pedagogical Potential of Gamification. In K. C. Li, K. S. Yuen, and B. T. M. Wong (Eds.), Innovations in Open and Flexible Education (pp. 143 – 152). Singapore: Springer.

Children’s Books

• 2026: Tso, W. B., S, Lam, A, Lam, & Koo, S. Egyptian Hieroglyphs from A to Z. Illustrated by Sophia Koo. Singapore: Chung Hwa Book Company (Singapore) Pte Limited. 90 pages.
  
  
• 2020: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: A Tale of Two Haunted Universities. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 22 pages.
  
  
• 2019: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: Herstory. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 20 pages.
  
  
• 2018: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: Taming Babel. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 20 pages.
  
  
• 2018: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: Unforgettable Neighbours. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 20 pages.
  
  
• 2017: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: The Summer of 1997. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 20 pages.
  
  
• 2017: Tso, W. B. Hong Kong Stories: Culinary Charades. Illustrated by Joanne Wai-nam Lo. Dearborn, Michigan: Alpha Academic Press. 20 pages.

Funded Grants (Selected)

Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), Research Grants Council, HKSAR

• Principal Investigator, “Diverse and Multicultural Shakespeare: Children’s and Young Adult Book Adaptations and Retellings in the 21st Century” (Ref. No.: UGC/FDS14/H13/25), (FDS). Award: HK$412,720 (18 months)
  
  
• Principal Investigator, “An investigation of Hong Kong students’ perceptions and experiences of English academic writing: A case study at The Open University of Hong Kong” (Ref. No.: UGC/FDS16/H01/15), (FDS). Award: HK$523,825 (18 months)

Inter-institutional Development Scheme (IIDS), Research Grants Council, HKSAR

• Co-Investigator, “Ethical Considerations in AI Translation: Addressing Bias and Cultural Sensitivity.” (Ref. No:  UGC/IIDS15/H04/26), IIDS. Award: HK$356,468 (12 months).
  
  
• Co-Principal Investigator, “Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Culture” (Ref. No:  UGC/IIDS23/H01/25), IIDS. Award: HK$447,625 (12 months)
  
  
• Co-Investigator, “Hans Christian Andersen and Worlding in His Tales” (Ref. No.: UGC/IIDS14/H03/24), IIDS. Award: HK$222,050 (12 months)

Institutional Development Scheme Research Infrastructure Grant (IDS), Research Grants Council, HKSAR

• Team Leader, “First Phase of Institutional Research Capacity Development” (Ref. No.: UGC/IDS16/14), IDS. Award: HK$12,000,000 (36 months)

Community Involvement Broadcasting Funding (CIBF), Radio Television Hong Kong, HKSAR

• Radio Producer, “The Fairytale World of H.C. Andersen” (Ref. No.: P2051), CIBF. Award: HK$91,200 (6 months)

President’s Discretionary Funds, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

• Principal Investigator (on behalf of ENG), “International Conference on Emerging Technologies in English Language Education”. Award: HK$50,000 (12 months)
  
  
• Principal Investigator (on behalf of ENG), “International Conference on Green Language Education: Advancing Environmental Literacy Through Sustainable Language Teaching and Learning”. Award: HK$26,000 (7 months)

• Principal Investigator (on behalf of ENG), “A Digital Conference on Acting Modern China: A Transcultural Affair from 1910s to 2020s”. Award: HK$30,750 (12 months)

Teaching Development Grant, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

• Principal Investigator, “Theatre as Witness, Memory, and Recognition: Student Experiential Learning through Devising and Performing”. Award: HK$100,000 (12 months).

Start-up Research Fund, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

• Principal Investigator, “An Ethnographic Study of Professional Writing in the Cultural and Creative Industry”. Award: HK$10,000 (12 months)  

Other External Grants

• Principal Investigator, “Exploring the Digital Literacy Practices of Hong Kong Students beyond Classroom: Writing through Facebook and WhatsApp” (Ref. No.: S/V/EL in U002(1/2017)), Sunrise Charitable and Education Fund. Award: HK$10,000 (18 months)

• Principal Investigator, “Childhood Literacy Development: Hong Kong Children’s Stories Project” (Ref. No.: S/V/EL in U001(8/2016)), Sunrise Charitable and Education Fund. Award: HK$30,000 (18 months)

Professional and Community Services (Selected)

• Founding Editor (2025 – To date), The Kaleidoscope Journal.
  
  
• Honorary President (2026 – To date), President (2022 – 2025) & Vice President (2020 – 2021), Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
  
  
• Invited Speaker and Visiting Researcher (14 August 2025). The Hong Kong Mermaid. Hans Christian Andersen Centre, The University of Southern Denmark.
  
  
• Invited Speaker and Research Collaboration Fellow (29 July 2025). Unleashing Creativity: Crafting and Exploring English Poetry in the Digital Age. School of Education, The University of Newcastle.
  
  
• Conference Chair (2022 – 2025), Hong Kong Association for Educational Communications and Technology International Conference 2022, 2023, 2024, & 2025, co-organized with The University of Hong Kong Libraries.
  
  
• Invited Speaker (26 March 2024). Defining Villainy. English Festival Academic Talk. Arts Association, The University of Hong Kong.