Hong Kong's 'unofficial history'

The trilogy's final book, Shuangtian Zhizun, begins in 1956 and ends in 1986 after the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. During the 30 years of the novel, Hong Kong's economy soars and the old-style underworld is transformed. But the protagonist Hon Tin-yan still clings to tradition and former values and dreams of training in martial arts.

Ma says the common theme throughout the three novels is secrets.

"The first novel is about keeping one's own secret, the second about keeping another's secret, and as for the third, it turns out that there are many secrets in life that even we ourselves may not be aware of — and if we don't know them, they might as well not exist," Ma explains.

Ma's obsession with secrets began at the age of 10 after being caught stealing money. Scolded by his mother, he felt extremely ashamed. From then on, he often experienced a kind of "secret anxiety", constantly worrying that his various secrets would be exposed. This made him particularly sensitive to other people's secrets, he told the media. He says that he often observes and imagines how secrets are kept and shared, and the consequences of their revelation.

"The secret Ma Ka-fai explores is the unpredictable nature of life and human nature," David Der-wei Wang, professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University, writes in the foreword of Shuangtian Zhizun.

While the novels are about individuals' secrets, they are also the secrets of Hong Kong, a city that itself is a legend, Wang writes.

Liu Yang, a popular stand-up comedian and writer, says reading Ma's novels is like watching an old Hong Kong movie, full of vivid details. Between the lines, one can sense the bygone underworld and the rich essence of Hong Kong's unique charm, he adds.

For one thing, the three books' titles are very "Hong Kong-esque" and are named after three traditional hands in the gambling game pai gow, which is often shown in Hong Kong films.