https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/62203/feed The annual Book Fair is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and takes place over several days. It launched in 1990. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Elizabeth Cheung,Lorraine Chiang Elizabeth Cheung,Lorraine Chiang The number of visitors to the latest edition of the Hong Kong Book Fair fell by about 10 per cent from last year, after the annual cultural event was forced to take a pause when Typhoon Wipha hit the city. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council on Tuesday announced the wrap-up of the seven-day fair. It said the event, alongside the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks fair, which were all held at the same time, managed to attract 890,000 visitors. The figure represented a drop of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319182/visitors-hong-kong-book-fair-drop-10-typhoon-puts-dampener-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319182/visitors-hong-kong-book-fair-drop-10-typhoon-puts-dampener-event?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:02:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification One afternoon in Mong Kok, I watched a mother place a milk tea beside her daughter, who sat quietly with her laptop closed. No lecture, no judgment – just quiet understanding. That small gesture... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3318717/younger-hongkongers-are-taking-it-slow-and-steady-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3318717/younger-hongkongers-are-taking-it-slow-and-steady-good?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 03:30:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s annual book fair has a long and entertaining story of its own. The festival has come a long way in the 35 years since its launch. The first event, in 1990, featured 149 exhibitors and an attendance of 200,000. Now, the fair goes beyond its literary roots to offer a much bigger and broader celebration of art, culture and lifestyle. This can be seen in this year’s theme, which promotes a healthy appetite for food as well as for books. This year, there are hopes the seven-day festival,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3318778/hong-kong-book-fairs-central-plot-rightly-remains-love-reading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3318778/hong-kong-book-fairs-central-plot-rightly-remains-love-reading?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Opening on Wednesday, this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair centres on the theme of “Food Culture – Future Living”. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the seven-day event – the book fair’s 35th edition – has expanded beyond literature, running alongside the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks. Visitors can spend the day browsing books about food and sampling some of the more than 1,300 varieties of snacks, all under one roof and with a single... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3317782/hong-kong-book-fair-turns-35-more-600-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3317782/hong-kong-book-fair-turns-35-more-600-events?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 04:30:08 +0000 Joshua Kwok Joshua Kwok The organisers of Hong Kong’s annual book fair have said they hope the number of visitors this year will surpass 1 million and break the record set in 2024, with the latest iteration set to focus on food culture. The 35th Hong Kong Book Fair, which has the theme of “food culture and future living”, will be held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai between July 16 and 22. The venue will also host three other events at the same time, with all four expected to bring in more than 770... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315695/35th-hong-kong-book-fair-serves-food-culture-targets-1-million-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315695/35th-hong-kong-book-fair-serves-food-culture-targets-1-million-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:05:58 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au The organiser of Hong Kong’s annual book fair has banned at least three publishers and stores from this summer’s edition without explanation, the Post has learned. Two of them said they believed their applications were rejected because they previously sold titles which the organiser, the Trade Development Council, later asked them to remove. Bbluesky Publishing and Boundary Bookstore told the Post on Friday that they had received notices in late January that their applications to join the fair... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3309833/annual-hong-kong-book-fair-bans-3-exhibitors-without-explanation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3309833/annual-hong-kong-book-fair-bans-3-exhibitors-without-explanation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2025 03:21:40 +0000 Tom Shuai Tom Shuai One of Asia’s largest literary events has wrapped up with nearly 1 million visits over a seven-day period in Hong Kong, with average spending rising by 4.6 per cent over last year based on a poll of visitors who bought books, the organiser has said. The Trade Development Council said on Tuesday evening that the Hong Kong Book Fair, Sports and Leisure Expo, and World of Snacks collectively attracted a large number of mainland Chinese visitors, based on its survey of 820 visitors. It added the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3271558/sales-hong-kong-book-fair-drop-5-15-some-exhibitors-readers-hunt-deals-last-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3271558/sales-hong-kong-book-fair-drop-5-15-some-exhibitors-readers-hunt-deals-last-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:16:42 +0000 Two booksellers at Hong Kong’s annual book fair have said they were forced to stop selling eight titles deemed “sensitive” by organisers, even though they had sold copies of the books last year without any issue. The exhibitors pulled the titles to ensure the safety of their staff, but accused the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on Sunday of not giving clear answers on whether the books were in breach of a Beijing-imposed national security law, as well the city’s complementary domestic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3271313/2-exhibitors-hong-kong-book-fair-told-organisers-stop-selling-sensitive-titles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3271313/2-exhibitors-hong-kong-book-fair-told-organisers-stop-selling-sensitive-titles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 12:21:40 +0000 Thousands of visitors have flocked to the launch of the Hong Kong Book Fair, with shoppers bringing along backpacks and suitcases while searching for the latest releases and bargains. Some bookworms arrived early outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, waiting for the doors to open at 10am. Vic Mak, a logistical services worker in his thirties, arrived about an hour early with a shopping trolley. “I wanted to come early because there are actually fewer people in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3270768/hong-kong-book-fair-launch-attracts-hundreds-eager-readers-seeking-new-releases-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3270768/hong-kong-book-fair-launch-attracts-hundreds-eager-readers-seeking-new-releases-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:44:13 +0000 The organiser of the 2024 Hong Kong Book Fair has expressed confidence that this year’s turnout will be strong, with visitors from mainland China set to bolster attendance numbers. The 34th edition of the annual book fair will kick off on Wednesday and last until July 23 at Wan Chai’s Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the theme of Film and Television Literature. Sophia Chong Suk-fan, deputy executive director of fair organiser the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said she felt... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3270697/mainland-chinese-visitors-make-hong-kong-book-fair-bestselling-event-organiser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3270697/mainland-chinese-visitors-make-hong-kong-book-fair-bestselling-event-organiser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:04:41 +0000 Hong Kong’s annual book fair hopes to bring in more visitors from the Greater Bay Area during a big week of conventions, the organiser has said, as the city grapples with a growing trend of local shoppers heading across the border to spend their money. This year’s seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair will launch on July 17 and run under the title of “Reading the World: Storytelling from Page to Screen”. Book fair tickets will go for HK$30 (US$3.84) each and also cover the Sports and Leisure Expo and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268021/hong-kong-book-fair-turns-new-page-push-bring-tourists-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268021/hong-kong-book-fair-turns-new-page-push-bring-tourists-greater-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:16:41 +0000 The Year of the Dragon has just begun and, for most, promises a new start. For some of Hong Kong’s best-known independent bookshops, however, the last few months have seen things reach an end. Hillway Culture in Mong Kong closed at the end of December. Mount Zero in Sheung Wan announced it would close at the end of March. Prejudice Bookstore, which had been accused of breaching its lease agreement at the Kwun Tong factory building in which it was tucked away, closed at the end of January, but... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3251914/how-hong-kong-independent-bookstores-are-flux-amid-closures-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3251914/how-hong-kong-independent-bookstores-are-flux-amid-closures-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:16:10 +0000 The death of the printed book has long been predicted, in an age of reading material mostly taking the form of social media posts, especially for the young. But the joy of reading books remains alive and well, at least if the Hong Kong Book Fair is a guide. The seven-day annual event, one of the largest of its kind in the world, ended this week. It was the first to be held since the reopening of borders. Almost 1 million people attended, marking a welcome return to pre-pandemic levels, with 10... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3229327/hong-kong-book-fairs-success-significant-step-road-normality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3229327/hong-kong-book-fairs-success-significant-step-road-normality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s annual book fair returned to pre-pandemic form this year after the number of attendees reached nearly 1 million people, organisers on Tuesday said as avid readers headed to the event in the hopes of snagging some last-minute bargains. Visitors on average spent about HK$872 (US$111) each at the joint event comprising the Hong Kong Book Fair, the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks, according to the city’s Trade Development Council. Attendees of last year’s event spent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228911/hong-kong-book-fair-records-990000-visitors-year-marking-return-pre-pandemic-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228911/hong-kong-book-fair-records-990000-visitors-year-marking-return-pre-pandemic-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:54:37 +0000 Hundreds of enthusiastic readers, some with suitcases in tow, queued outside Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Centre early on Wednesday, eager to browse thousands of titles at one of the world’s largest book fairs. Foreigners and mainland Chinese visitors were among more than 300 people in line at about 9am. This year’s Hong Kong Book Fair is the city’s first since all borders reopened. Ikki To, in his 40s, arrived at the venue around midnight and was first in the queue outside the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3228198/bookworms-gather-hong-kong-yearly-feast-one-worlds-largest-book-fairs-opens-its-doors-7-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3228198/bookworms-gather-hong-kong-yearly-feast-one-worlds-largest-book-fairs-opens-its-doors-7-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jul 2023 06:10:49 +0000 Vendors at the Hong Kong Book Fair said they were optimistic about visitor numbers bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels when the event opens on Wednesday, but they admitted wet weather and a potential typhoon might dampen demand. Exhibitors at the annual show at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre were at full steam ahead on Tuesday afternoon to set up their booths and books for the Wednesday opening after preparation was delayed by Typhoon Talim, which brushed past the city the day... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228150/hong-kong-book-fair-vendor-predicts-visitor-numbers-will-rebound-1-million-line-pre-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228150/hong-kong-book-fair-vendor-predicts-visitor-numbers-will-rebound-1-million-line-pre-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2023 14:15:39 +0000 Hong Kong Book Fair organisers have urged exhibitors to only offer titles that conformed with the national security law, as they expected a huge number of visitors from neighbouring mainland cities in the first post-pandemic show despite an admission fee hike. The annual week-long fair will run from July 19 to 25 and feature about 760 exhibitors. Admission is HK$30 (US$3.80), up from last year’s HK$25. The Trade Development Council, which is organising the fair, said the theme this year was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3225979/hong-kong-book-fairs-760-exhibitors-urged-abide-national-security-law-event-returns-city-july-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3225979/hong-kong-book-fairs-760-exhibitors-urged-abide-national-security-law-event-returns-city-july-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:44:18 +0000 About 850,000 people in total visited the Hong Kong Book Fair 2022, the event’s organiser has said, accounting for a slight increase from the number of attendees last year. Asia’s largest annual book fair drew to a close on Tuesday at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, with visitors snapping up books, snacks, sports and leisure products from more than 700 exhibitors over the seven-day event. The number of attendees this year rose about 2.4 per cent from the 830,000 visitors to last year’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186686/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-closes-total-850000-visitors-slight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186686/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-closes-total-850000-visitors-slight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jul 2022 15:39:56 +0000 Young Hongkongers should learn about China’s history and development to cultivate their national identity and avoid being divided by foreign forces trying to suppress the country, the security chief has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, who was at a sharing session with about 250 secondary school students at the Hong Kong Book Fair on Sunday, said many young people had wrong ideas about the country and city government during the 2019 unrest, and had been encouraged to resort to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3186404/learn-about-chinas-history-cultivate-national-identity-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3186404/learn-about-chinas-history-cultivate-national-identity-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jul 2022 09:20:59 +0000 When Hong Kong historian Elizabeth Sinn Yuk-yee wrote a book about Chinese migrants chasing the gold rush in California, she challenged the traditional view of them as being simply “coolie labourers”. “It was not a coolie trade because people who went really wanted to go. It was voluntary,” said Sinn, 74, author of Pacific Crossing: California Gold, Chinese Migration and the Making of Hong Kong. Sinn, an honorary professor of the Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186377/different-take-chinese-migration-california-and-new-way-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186377/different-take-chinese-migration-california-and-new-way-look?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jul 2022 00:57:45 +0000 “Life doesn’t have a take two, please act carefully” was a household advertising tagline created by then copywriter Kitty Lun Kit-ying for the Hong Kong government’s Fight Crime Committee in the 1990s. After witnessing the changes to the city’s creative industry over the past three decades, the now head of Meta’s Creative Shop for Greater China told visitors at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair that young people needed to learn and undergo a transformation to compete in the current economy. Lun... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186344/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-meta-creative-head-joins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3186344/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-meta-creative-head-joins?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jul 2022 08:34:54 +0000 Political activist and independent publisher Raymond Yeung Tsz-chun saw an opportunity to start a fresh chapter when he learned his application to set up a stall at the Hong Kong Book Fair had been rejected by organisers of the annual event, which opened on Wednesday. He swiftly pooled together 12 local publishers for a Hongkongers’ Book Fair, which aimed to offer readers titles with local flair or collections deemed too sensitive or unmarketable at the week-long mainstream event, Asia’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3185996/end-story-or-new-chapter-how-hong-kongs-independent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3185996/end-story-or-new-chapter-how-hong-kongs-independent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:30:25 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. As one of the world’s oldest democracies, the United Kingdom has now found itself bogged down in a democratic quagmire. After an endless barrage of gaffes and scandals, a string of ministerial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/letters/article/3185778/uk-example-why-democracy-badly-needs-rethinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/letters/article/3185778/uk-example-why-democracy-badly-needs-rethinking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jul 2022 06:30:20 +0000 Hong Kong publishers said they did not expect to surpass last year’s sales despite hundreds of avid readers snapping up titles on education, health and local history during the launch of Asia’s largest annual book fair on Wednesday. Half an hour before the Hong Kong Book Fair 2022 opened its doors, organisers arranged for the first 250 people in line to wait at the main entrance of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, while others were diverted to higher levels. All visitors had to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185896/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-hundreds-queue-early-be-among-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185896/hong-kong-book-fair-2022-hundreds-queue-early-be-among-first?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jul 2022 04:38:54 +0000 Small and medium-sized publishers in Hong Kong have said they are exercising more caution when selecting titles for Asia’s largest annual book fair in the city this year as some sellers struggle to keep their businesses afloat. The companies were among the hundreds of exhibitors that set up booths on Tuesday ahead of the opening of the seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair the following morning. Chan Sau-wai, the publishing director of Passion Times, an online media outlet founded by local activists,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185855/hong-kong-publishers-adopt-cautious-attitude-ahead-asias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185855/hong-kong-publishers-adopt-cautious-attitude-ahead-asias?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:00:30 +0000 The national security law is reshaping more than just the political landscape in Hong Kong. What used to be taken for granted in many other fields may now be unacceptable, if not unlawful. Greater clarity on the dos and don’ts is needed so that stakeholders will not inadvertently fall foul of the law. The Hong Kong Book Fair has been a regional showcase of knowledge and creativity for decades. It remains unclear why some publishers have been barred this year. The Trade Development Council (TDC),... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/article/3184795/concern-justified-over-book-fair-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/article/3184795/concern-justified-over-book-fair-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jul 2022 15:28:59 +0000 The organiser of Asia’s largest annual book fair in Hong Kong has dismissed suggestions of censorship despite some publishers being banned from this year’s event. The Trade Development Council said the Hong Kong Book Fair had been established for more than 30 years and there were clear guidelines for exhibitors. The council has rejected applications from some publishers to take part in this year’s book fair, with the event among a string of activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184355/hong-kong-book-fair-organiser-dismisses-suggestions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184355/hong-kong-book-fair-organiser-dismisses-suggestions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jul 2022 12:25:31 +0000 Asia’s largest annual book fair will be held on July 20 and titled “Reading the World: Stories of Hong Kong”, but with some publishers banned from the event. The theme for this year’s seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair is “History and City Literature”, with organiser the Trade Development Council (TDC) promising to bring the works of celebrated authors to readers while aiming to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the city’s historical and cultural development. Thematic exhibitions titled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3183023/hong-kong-book-fair-begin-july-20-some-publishers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3183023/hong-kong-book-fair-begin-july-20-some-publishers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:44:46 +0000 Publishers have expressed concerns over the industry’s future in Hong Kong after two more applicants were denied permission to take part in the book fair. A cultural critic also said the publishing business was dying as many writers felt deterred from producing works over fears of being arrested or prosecuted for violating the Beijing-imposed national security law. Daniel Wong, a spokesman for publishing house One of a Kind, revealed that fair organiser the Hong Kong Trade Development Council... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3180468/publishers-warn-grim-outlook-industry-after-2-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3180468/publishers-warn-grim-outlook-industry-after-2-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2022 03:52:12 +0000 Some independent bookshops in Hong Kong are feeling the chilling effect of the national security law, with one announcing it will shut down, and others taking more care with the titles on their shelves. Bleak House Books, a popular independent store in San Po Kong specialising in English titles, announced its closure in August, after four years in business. Its last day will be on Friday. Owner Albert Wan, a Chinese-American lawyer turned bookseller, blamed politics for his decision to close,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3151770/hong-kongs-bookshops-losing-readers-and-struggling-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3151770/hong-kongs-bookshops-losing-readers-and-struggling-through?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Oct 2021 11:30:08 +0000 Award-winning Hong Kong director Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai made headlines when his latest documentary was screened at the Cannes Film Festival last month, but the recognition prompted an investor to withdraw from his next film. The 2½-hour Revolution of Our Times takes its title from a slogan used widely during the anti-government protests of 2019 and which the authorities have since labelled a pro-independence rallying call. The film records how frontline demonstrators operated on the ground during... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146227/hong-kong-creative-industry-shrouded-worries-and-fears-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146227/hong-kong-creative-industry-shrouded-worries-and-fears-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:22 +0000 The Hong Kong Book Fair, one of the world’s largest, drew to a close on Tuesday after attracting 830,000 visitors in total, although publishers reported sales were mixed. Social-distancing rules to control the spread of Covid-19 had limited capacity at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai to just 85 per cent of the maximum. Attendance at the week-long event was down 17 per cent compared to the last time it was held in 2019, when a million people turned out. The event was cancelled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141868/hong-kong-book-fair-draws-close-total-830000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141868/hong-kong-book-fair-draws-close-total-830000?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:29:29 +0000 Pro-establishment writers and politicians have hailed the Hong Kong Book Fair as an opportunity to promote their views amid the diminished presence of the opposition camp at this year’s event, brushing aside worries among some residents that long-held freedoms of publication and expression are shrinking. The annual book fair, one of the largest of its kind in the world, kicked off this month after a one-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It is also the city’s first since Beijing’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141716/opposition-camps-diminished-presence-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141716/opposition-camps-diminished-presence-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:21:21 +0000 The organiser of the Hong Kong Book Fair has said it received complaints against publishers accused of breaching the national security law, but some vendors at the event are still proceeding with the sale of works penned by opposition figures. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), which is behind the fair, one of the largest of its kind in the world, sent letters on Thursday to Hillway Culture and Kind Of Culture informing them of the allegations. Tang Tak-shing, chairman of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141482/national-security-law-hong-kong-book-fair-vendors-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141482/national-security-law-hong-kong-book-fair-vendors-double?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:32:06 +0000 There is no bigger test for Hong Kong’s Covid-19 social-distancing measures than the city’s book fair. The event, being held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai until Tuesday, is the first major public gathering since successive waves of the coronavirus were brought under control. Almost 1 million visitors attended when it was last held in 2019 and just 100,000 fewer are expected this year owing to restrictions that limit the venue’s capacity to 85 per cent. If it can be held... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3141276/let-book-fair-be-new-chapter-normality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3141276/let-book-fair-be-new-chapter-normality?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:55:04 +0000 The Hong Kong Book Fair returned on Wednesday after a one-year delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, but self-censorship concerns cast a shadow over the event, with publishers fearing the impact of the national security law. It is the first fair since the Beijing-imposed legislation came into force last June, and critics fear the law, which bans acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, could be used to limit free speech. Those concerns were evident at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141011/hong-kong-book-fair-returns-after-long-delay-due?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141011/hong-kong-book-fair-returns-after-long-delay-due?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jul 2021 02:03:00 +0000 Organisers of the Hong Kong Book Fair, which returns on July 14 after a coronavirus-related absence last year, have said police could be called in to deal with exhibits if attendees complain they are violating the national security law or the city’s obscenity ordinance. Benjamin Chau Kai-leung, deputy executive director of the Trade Development Council (TDC), said books at the seven-day fair would not be vetted or censored by organisers but exhibitors had to be “self-disciplined” under the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3138650/hong-kong-book-fair-organisers-urge-exhibitors-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3138650/hong-kong-book-fair-organisers-urge-exhibitors-be?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 15:14:15 +0000 The Hong Kong Book Fair will finally return to the city on July 14 albeit with social-distancing rules in place, but some exhibitors do not expect any new political books on the shelves in the current climate. The Trade Development Council (TDC), which organises Asia’s largest fair of its kind, said the seven-day event would be held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on a slightly smaller scale than in 2019, with about 670 exhibitors this year compared with 686 previously. It... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3137006/hong-kong-book-fair-finally-return-after-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3137006/hong-kong-book-fair-finally-return-after-being?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jun 2021 11:36:15 +0000 For years, Jason Wong put aside a day for himself at a library every weekend, when he would browse through his favourite fantasy novels, and take home one or two that he could not put down. The 32-year-old clerk says reading in libraries has been a great form of escapism, but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted his routine by forcing their closure. Being unable to read in an open, calm environment has been a struggle, says Wong, who has frequented libraries since his secondary schooldays and is a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3103965/hong-kong-libraries-reopen-readers-return-pick-book-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3103965/hong-kong-libraries-reopen-readers-return-pick-book-find?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2020 07:00:13 +0000 The number of publishers signing up for the rearranged Hong Kong Book Fair has slumped by 80 per cent after the event was postponed at the last minute to December as the city battled its third wave of coronavirus infections, organisers revealed on Thursday. Although publishers have until Monday to register for the annual event, to be held from December 16 to 22, so far only 140 companies have done so. That is an 80 per cent drop in participating publishers compared with last year’s edition,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3100135/coronavirus-number-publishers-signing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3100135/coronavirus-number-publishers-signing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2020 12:26:07 +0000 The Hong Kong Book Fair – one of the world’s largest – is set to be held from December 16 to 22, its organiser said on Tuesday, after the annual event was postponed amid the city’s third wave of coronavirus outbreak. The date was still tentative, however, as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which puts on the exhibition, said they would need to reassess health risks closer to the fair’s opening date. Originally scheduled for the summer, the fair was one of the many conventions postponed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3098801/coronavirus-hong-kong-book-fair-tentatively-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3098801/coronavirus-hong-kong-book-fair-tentatively-go?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2020 10:57:53 +0000 Exhibition planner Joe Wong Chu-kong’s heart sank when the annual Hong Kong Book Fair was cancelled two days before it was due to open last month. His team of workers had spent four weeks setting up booths for exhibitors, and now they had to remove everything and clear out of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. “I called my truck drivers who were on the way to deliver materials and told them to just turn around and call it a day,” recalled Wong, a project manager for Toy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3098462/hong-kong-events-industry-pleads-lifeline-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3098462/hong-kong-events-industry-pleads-lifeline-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2020 01:00:11 +0000 Hong Kong publishers and booksellers have moved online in a big way, offering discounts and free delivery, after their annual trade event had to be called off because of the resurgence in Covid-19 infections. Fans of the Hong Kong Book Fair, which drew almost a million visitors last year, welcomed the promotions but said shopping online would not be the same as being at the event, a major attraction for book lovers every year. Hong Kong book fair and other events postponed amid Covid-19 third... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3094687/no-book-fair-no-problem-hong-kong-publishers-woo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3094687/no-book-fair-no-problem-hong-kong-publishers-woo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2020 07:00:17 +0000 Hong Kong is expected to tighten its social-distancing measures after a third wave of Covid-19 cases hit the city with health authorities warning the situation was "getting a bit out of hand." The city announced 52 new cases on Monday, in line with the recent escalation in cases, taking the total number of infections to 1,521, including seven deaths. Forty-one of the new cases were transmitted locally, and the source of 20 of these infections remained unknown. City officials met to discuss the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/health/hong-kongs-third-wave-covid-19-getting-bit-out-hand/article/3092927?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/health/hong-kongs-third-wave-covid-19-getting-bit-out-hand/article/3092927?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:33:42 +0000 More than 50 Hong Kong Book Fair exhibitors and a health expert on Friday have urged the postponement or suspension of the annual event, which is scheduled to open next Wednesday, citing concerns over a new wave of Covid-19 infections. Their remarks came a day after the government tightened social-distancing rules as the new local cases hit 85 over the past three days, including 21 with unknown sources of infection. But the organiser of the annual event, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3092736/hong-kong-book-fair-exhibitors-health-expert-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3092736/hong-kong-book-fair-exhibitors-health-expert-call?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2020 12:56:08 +0000 The organiser of the annual Hong Kong Book Fair has urged exhibitors to exercise “self-discipline” and avoid selling “unlawful” books at this year’s edition, which opens on July 15, weeks after Beijing’s new national security law for the city is likely to have been passed. Responding to a question at a Tuesday press conference, the Trade Development Council’s Benjamin Chau said books at the fair are not vetted or censored by the council. But he reminded exhibitors nevertheless to be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3090312/hong-kong-book-fair-exhibitors-urged-exercise-self?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3090312/hong-kong-book-fair-exhibitors-urged-exercise-self?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:08:53 +0000 Hong Kong writers, publishers and booksellers are anxious that the national security law being drawn up by Beijing for the city will have a chilling effect on their industry. They worry there will be restrictions on what can be written, published and sold, and that a “reporting culture” will take root, with pro-Beijing patriots denouncing anything they consider politically incorrect. “When the authorities have power, they will use it sooner or later,” prominent writer Tang Siu-wa said. “Coupled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3089933/national-security-law-hong-kong-literary-scene-fears-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3089933/national-security-law-hong-kong-literary-scene-fears-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2020 03:00:16 +0000 Publishers and booksellers are gearing up for the Hong Kong book fair next month, hoping the popular annual event will provide the industry a much-needed lift after months of being hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government decided last week to go ahead with the fair, the largest of its kind in Asia, from July 15 to 21. It will be the first major trade event since the pandemic was reported in Hong Kong in January. Organisers are expecting fewer overseas exhibitors this time than last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3088980/relief-hong-kong-book-fair-goes-ahead-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3088980/relief-hong-kong-book-fair-goes-ahead-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2020 05:32:22 +0000 Hong Kong science fiction author Jeannette Ng became the city’s first to receive the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer last Sunday in Dublin, Ireland, but not without calling out the influential sci-fi writer whom the award is named after as a fascist. “John W. Campbell … was a fascist. Through his editorial control of [the magazine] Astounding Science Fiction, [Campbell] is responsible for setting a tone of science fiction that still haunts the genre to this day. Sterile. Male. White.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3024530/hong-kong-winner-john-w-campbell-sci-fi-award-stands-fascist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3024530/hong-kong-winner-john-w-campbell-sci-fi-award-stands-fascist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2019 14:30:12 +0000 Sales at the annual Hong Kong book fair were down by at least 10 per cent this year, some exhibitors said on Tuesday as extradition bill protests over the weekend brought traffic around the venue to a halt. Roads were closed on Sunday around the Hong Kong Book Fair 2019 – one of the world’s largest – at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, which is less than 1km from the government headquarters in Admiralty. Hundreds of thousands of people were estimated to have shown up for a third... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3019801/sales-down-least-10-cent-hong-kong-book-fair-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3019801/sales-down-least-10-cent-hong-kong-book-fair-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 11:34:03 +0000