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Books and literature

Books and literature
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Books and literature. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Matt Damon as Odysseus (centre) in a scene from The Odyssey. Photo: Universal Pictures via AP
Christopher Nolan

Opinion | What Nolan’s Odysseus tells us about Western elite’s existential angst

The film’s reinterpreted Homeric hero represents a contemporary reckoning with the West’s ruthless pursuit of power and disregard for boundaries.

Food and Drinks

She’s both a baker and a psychologist, creating recipes to make your life better

American cinema

How did Snow Flower and the Secret Fan become such an ambitious failure?

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Crime

Man who stabbed Salman Rushdie convicted in US terrorism trial

Already serving a 25-year state prison sentence for the attack, Hadi Matar now faces a potential life sentence for the federal conviction.

Hadi Matar is escorted from the courtroom in Mayville, New York, in February 2025. Photo: AP
Crime

Rushdie attacker declines to testify in US terror trial

Already serving 25 years for state attempted murder, Hadi Matar faces life in prison if convicted on federal charges.

Fame and celebrity

Obituary | Asia mourns Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino, who died at 68

Fans took to social media to mourn the death of Higashino, who published more than 100 books.

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Pets

As I see it | How the death of Argos, Odysseus’ faithful dog, still haunts us

The quiet, devastating reunion of master and dog, recently given the Hollywood treatment, remains one of the most poignant scenes in Western literature.

Though Odysseus was moved by the reunion, he was in disguise and could offer no comfort to Argos. Photo by: Ivy Close Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
American cinema

Planet of the Apes at 25: why Tim Burton’s sci-fi remake was a confusing mess

The 2001 film with Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter featured a muddled script and awkward callbacks to the 1968 original.

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Hong Kong culture

Obituary | How scholar Ackbar Abbas changed the way people thought about Hong Kong

Abbas, whose concepts such as ‘déjà disparu’ are still used to explain how Hong Kong feels from the inside, died on July 13 at the age of 84.

Food and Drinks

‘Piece of history’: old cookbook exhibition traces Hong Kong’s culinary past

‘Treasured Recipes’ at PMQ Taste Library features food-themed books and magazines spanning decades to show how the city’s food scene evolved.

A copy of Lisa Yam’s World, a Hong Kong cooking magazine popular in the 1980s and 1990s, features in “Treasured Recipes”, an exhibition at PMQ Taste Library that traces Hong Kong’s rich culinary heritage through food-themed literature. Photo: PMQ Taste Library
Food and Drinks

Hong Kong’s PMQ offers fresh perspectives on culinary traditions

The ‘Treasured Recipes’ exhibition by Michael Lui Ka-chun showcases influential cookbooks and other interesting pieces of gastronomic literature.

Two of the books featured in PMQ Taste Library x Word by Word Collective “Treasured Recipes” summer 2026 exhibition. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong Book Fair offers hope for a future full of reading

The city’s annual book fair plays an important role in boosting reading and sales, and its success suggests the appeal of reading will endure.

Crime

Terrorism trial opens in stabbing of author Salman Rushdie

This is the second trial for Hadi Matar, who was earlier found guilty of attempted murder after attacking the writer on a state in New York.

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As I see it | How an obscure psychologist reshaped the Homeric hero

Scheming Odysseus may have been the first modern man with a self-directing mental life while other archaic heroes blindly obeyed the gods.

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Matt Damon (centre) as Odysseus in the Christopher Nolan epic film, The Odyssey. Photo: Universal Pictures / TNS
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong Book Fair: early birds slam chaotic queues to meet girl band Collar

‘This was my first time at the book fair, and it has been deeply disappointing,’ one fan says on opening day for city’s annual book fair.

A big draw on Wednesday was an autograph signing by girl group Collar. Photo: Facebook/Collar
Chinese culture

‘I never felt ready’: author on finally writing her Chinese grandmother’s story

Elizabeth Lim reveals why it took her 10 years to write Fishbone Cinderella about her grandmother’s journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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Taylor Swift

Meet the Paisleys, whose non-profit is backed by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Kimberly Williams-Paisley starred on ABC TV series According to Jim, while Brad Paisley was a successful country music singer in the 2000s … who knew Tay-Tay before she was famous.

“Went to a thing,” Kimberly Williams-Paisley coyly captioned this photo of her and Brad Paisley, referring to Taylor Swift’s wedding on July 5. Photos: @kimberlywilliamspaisley/Instagram, FilmMagic
Travel

A new literary festival in a tiny French village has a Hong Kong connection

Michelle Garnaut, founder of M at the Fringe in Hong Kong, has launched a festival in France blending literature, music and community spirit.

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Author Eiko Kadono is 91, loves pink and never tires of writing

Eiko Kadono has written 200 books and does not intend to stop. One of her stories, Kiki’s Delivery Service, became a Studio Ghibli anime hit.

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Hong Kong politics

Taiwan’s leader pays tribute to Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee after his death

‘I want to express my deepest condolences to his family, friends and all those who care about freedom and democracy in Hong Kong,’ William Lai says in Facebook post.

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Lam Wing-kee in 2016. He said he had been kidnapped and blindfolded at the border and subsequently held in solitary confinement. Photo: Robert Ng
Hong Kong national security law

Hong Kong national security police arrest 2 bookshop owners over alleged sedition

Hunter Bookstore owners, former district councillor Leticia Wong and local man arrested on suspicion of committing acts with seditious intent.

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Leticia Wong owns Hunter Bookstore in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Natalie Wong
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for June 25-27

Phnom Penh’s Sora pops up at Terrible Baby, Bangkok’s Sundry takes over Friday After Class, and Shakespeare-inspired Madara cocktails land at Alibi.

Food and Drinks

Davina Chang on food and community as her Paris cafe Bing Sutt closes

The @thecolordiet content creator moved to Paris and built a thoughtful space serving Hong Kong favourites; she’s since authored a cookbook, A Taste of Hong Kong.

Audrey Hepburn

New Audrey Hepburn biography is an emotional roller coaster of joy and tragedy

Intimate Audrey reveals new stories regarding the British icon famous for films including Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday.

Audrey Hepburn in a still from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). A new biography, Intimate Audrey, co-written by her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Wendy Holden, has recently been released. Photo: Paramount Pictures
Taiwan

How a prize-winning Taiwanese novel could stoke Beijing’s worries over history

Yang Shuang-zi’s Taiwan Travelogue wins the International Booker Prize – and reignites debate over the island’s shifting identity.

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Author Yang Shuang-zi (left) and translator Lin King pose with their 2026 International Booker Prize trophies at the Tate Modern in London on May 19. Photo: EPA
Chinese culture

As I see it | What the I Ching is really about

While it may depart from scientific axioms, readers can glean much about their circumstances by consulting the Book of Changes.

Chinese culture

‘Night of Horrors’: LA’s Chinese massacre of 1871 brought to fore in new book

Lisa See’s novel Daughters of the Sun and Moon revisits the terrible events that saw around 500 people attack the city’s Chinese residents.

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