{{Short description|Hong Kong writer (1943–2018)}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Eunice Lam | native_name = 林燕妮 | image = | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1943|1|31}} | birth_place = [[Japanese Hong Kong ]] | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2018|5|31|1943|1|31}} | death_place = [[Hong Kong]] [[Sanatorium]] [[&]] [[Hospital]], [[Happy Valley, Hong Kong]] | burial_place = <!-- may be used instead of resting_place and resting_place_coordinates (displays "Burial place" as label) --> | burial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} --> | other_names = Lam Yin-nei, Lin Yanni | alma_mater = {{hlist|[[University of California, Berkeley]]|[[University of Hong Kong]]}} | occupation = Novelist, columnist, businesswoman | years_active = 1974–2018 | known_for = | notable_works = | spouse = {{marriage|[[Peter Lee Jung-sum]]|1966|1971|reason=div}} | partner = [[James Wong Jim]]<br> (1976–1990) | relatives = [[Richard Lam]] (brother) | children = 1 | module = {{Infobox Chinese |child = yes |c=林燕妮 |p=Lín Yànní |w=Lin Yen-ni |j=Lam<sup>4</sup> Jin<sup>1</sup> Nei<sup>4</sup> }} }} '''Eunice Lam Yin-nei''' ({{zh|c=林燕妮}}; 31 January 1943 – 31 May 2018), also known as '''Lin Yanni''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82238216.html|title=Lin Yanni|website=Library of Congress|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref> was a Hong Kong novelist, columnist, businesswoman, and socialite, often called the "prodigal daughter" of Hong Kong.<ref name="scmp">{{Cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2149343/late-bruce-lees-former-sister-law-eunice-lam-dies-age|title=Eunice Lam, Bruce Lee's former sister-in-law, dies at age 75|last=Chen|first=Vivian|date=5 June 2018|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref> She published more than eighty books, many of which have been adapted into films. She also wrote regular columns for the ''[[Ming Pao]]'', and [[Jin Yong]], the famous writer who founded the newspaper, praised her as the "best modern woman essayist".
Lam was married to [[Peter Lee Jung-sum|Peter Lee]], brother of the kung-fu star [[Bruce Lee]]. Her brother [[Richard Lam]] was also a well-known [[Cantopop]] lyricist. Her lengthy extra-marital relationship with the celebrated songwriter [[Wong Jim]] garnered her media attention.
== Early life and education == Lam was born in Hong Kong on 31 January 1943 into an artistic and literary family.<ref name="wwp">{{Cite web|url=http://paper.wenweipo.com/2018/06/06/YO1806060012.htm|title=從天氣女郎到最好散文家──林燕妮病逝|date=6 June 2018|website=[[Wen Wei Po]]|language=zh-HK|access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref> She had a younger sister and two younger brothers, including the [[Cantopop]] lyricist Richard Lam Chun-keung, a household name in Hong Kong.<ref name="scmp2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2149409/eunice-lam-hong-kong-novelist-and-former-sister-law-kung-fu|title=Eunice Lam, Hong Kong novelist and former sister-in-law of kung fu legend Bruce Lee, dies at age 75 |date=6 June 2018|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref>
At age 17, she was admitted to the [[University of California, Berkeley]] in the United States. She returned to Hong Kong after graduating with a bachelor's degree in [[genetics]], and later earned two master's degrees,<ref name="wwp"/> including one in [[Chinese literature]] from the [[University of Hong Kong]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
== Career == Lam worked as one of Hong Kong's first television weather girls.<ref name="wwp" /> She began her writing career in 1974, and became a prolific writer in the 1980s.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} She published more than eighty books,<ref name="scmp2" /> including ''Crazy'' (癡), ''Fate'' (缘), ''Alliance'' (盟) and ''The Burial of Youth'' (青春之葬).<ref name="wwp" /><ref name="sina">{{Cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2018-06-05/doc-ihcqccin5035624.shtml|title=香港著名作家林燕妮因肺癌去世 享年75岁|date=5 June 2018|publisher=Sina Corp|language=zh-HK|access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref> Many of her novels have been adapted into films.<ref name="wwp" /> She was also a regular columnist for the Chinese-language newspapers ''[[Ming Pao]]'' and the ''[[Hong Kong Daily News]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20180605-864738|title=香港才女林燕妮因肺癌逝世 享年75岁|last=Chen|first=Yuxin|date=5 June 2018|work=Zaobao|access-date=5 June 2018|language=zh}}</ref> praised by [[Jin Yong]] as the "best modern woman essayist".<!-- ...in Hong Kong? In the world? Was this statement qualified at all? --><ref name="wwp" /><ref name="sina" />
== Personal life == When she was 21, Lam married [[Peter Lee Jung-sum]], the elder brother of [[Bruce Lee]], and the couple had a son, Lee Kai-ho (李凯豪). The marriage ended in divorce after about five years.<ref name="scmp2" /><ref name="sina" /> Lam found herself in the media spotlight for having maintained a 14-year extra-marital relationship with [[James Wong (lyricist)|Wong Jim]], the celebrated Hong Kong songwriter, which began in 1976 when they were both working for the broadcaster [[TVB]]; the affair caused the break-up of his first marriage.<ref name="scmp2" /> Together, they started the advertising agency Wong & Lam; it was later bought by [[Saatchi & Saatchi]].<ref name="scmp" /><ref name="sina" /> The couple planned to marry in 1988, but, according to Lam, Wong lost interest,<ref name="scmp2" /> and they broke up after Wong started an affair with his secretary, whom he later married.<ref name="sina" />
== Death == Lam was diagnosed with lung cancer due to her excessive smoking in 2016. On 31 May 2018,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/celebs/story20180628-870783|title=林燕妮举殡 冯宝宝派林12金句悼亡友|date=2018-06-28|work=Zaobao|access-date=2018-06-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hk.entertainment.appledaily.com/entertainment/daily/article/20180628/20433464|title=粉紅輕煙裊裊繞心頭 Sammi送林燕妮：天家見|date=2018-06-28|website=Apple Daily|access-date=2018-06-29|archive-date=30 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630024952/https://hk.entertainment.appledaily.com/entertainment/daily/article/20180628/20433464|url-status=dead}}</ref> she died from the disease at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, aged 75.<ref name="scmp" /><ref name="sina" /> Her three siblings, including Richard, had all died of [[lymphoma]].<ref name="sina" /> She continued writing throughout her illness; her last column was published in ''[[Ming Pao]]'' in 6 June 2018.<ref name="wwp" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lam, Eunice}} [[Category:1943 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:Hong Kong women writers]] [[Category:20th-century Chinese women writers]] [[Category:20th-century Chinese novelists]] [[Category:21st-century Chinese women writers]] [[Category:21st-century Chinese novelists]] [[Category:Hong Kong people of Hakka descent]] [[Category:People from Huizhou]] [[Category:Hong Kong businesspeople]] [[Category:Hong Kong socialites]] [[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Hong Kong]] [[Category:Hong Kong novelists]] [[Category:Chinese women novelists]] [[Category:Hong Kong columnists]] [[Category:Hong Kong women columnists]] [[Category:Hong Kong Christians]] [[Category:Hong Kong Protestants]] [[Category:20th-century Hong Kong women writers]] [[Category:20th-century Hong Kong writers]] [[Category:21st-century Hong Kong women writers]] [[Category:21st-century Hong Kong writers]] [[Category:Ming Pao people]]