- Annual event returned to the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai with a focus on children’s and young adult literature
- Teens and parents said they were eager to discover new reads, but needed tips on which books suited their age and reading levels
Students on summer holiday browse books at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. Photo: Hazel LuoThe annual Hong Kong Book Fair is the place to be as students kick off their summer holidays, with some young readers and parents looking for guidance in choosing the right books.
This year the fair has a strong focus on children’s and young adult literature, as emphasised in the theme “Reading the World: The Joy of Reading for Children and Youth”. Young readers have flocked to the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, eager to discover new books and authors that will foster a love of reading and keep them engaged over the break.
Ily Ng, a 12-year-old student who will soon begin secondary school, said she was excited to attend the book fair for the first time.
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“My school requires us to read e-books, but I prefer physical books because flipping through the pages one by one gives me a different feeling,” she said.
Her mother intended to spend about HK$1,000 on books for her child and hoped to find ones with more text and fewer pictures. Both mother and daughter hoped future book fairs could have someone on hand who could recommend books for different age groups and advise parents which ones were appropriate for different reading levels.
“I don’t know which books suit middle school students, and when I asked others, they had no idea either. So I hope there can be a helper providing some guidance,” Ng’s mother said.
Most booths seen by Young Post did not categorise their books according to age or note which reads were suitable for kids or teens, which could make it difficult for parents and young readers to find literature for their age group.
Most booths arranged their selections based on popularity, discount offers, and genre.
The book fair has always been a highlight of the summer for a 25-year-old attendee from Guangzhou, surnamed Huang. She braved the typhoon on Monday, arriving in the city by railway just to attend the fair.
“I booked several talks, including Yu Hua’s on Saturday, and want to buy some books that can’t be found on the mainland,” Huang said.
Chinese writer Yu Hua, famous for his work of literary realism To Live, will speak on Saturday afternoon. Other events include storytelling by Swiss author Karine Yoakim Pasquier and even a French hand puppet show.
Huang attended the fair with her family when she was younger but said the pandemic made it more difficult to come in recent years.
However, “[it’s] more convenient this year because of the new MTR station (Exhibition Centre Station),” said Huang, adding that she loves to collect paper books and admire the colourful book covers.
Student Yanni Lo is a book fair regular. She said she appreciated the wide variety of texts offered at this year’s fair.
“More people are attending this year’s book fair compared to previous years, and there is a wider variety of themes and genres on offer,” said the 16-year-old.
Ng Wing-chi, the publication manager of Breakthrough, a non-profit organisation providing cultural and educational services for young people, said she was surprised by the fair’s turnout this year.
“I thought people would choose to travel outside [Hong Kong] after the border reopened, but the foot traffic for the first two days seems optimistic,” said Ng, adding that the fair had increased the number of cultural activities being held and even had a special area for exhibiting picture books.
Breakthrough’s most popular book this year is Hong Kong: A Guide to City Strolling by Sampson Wong, a local artist and academic whose new project aims to reconnect Hongkongers with their city and turn them into flâneurs – people who stroll around observing their surroundings.
Ng hoped future fairs could arrange talks and activities in the same area as the booths so that more people would know about them.
More than 600 cultural activities and seminars will take place as part of the fair, which began on Wednesday and ends on July 25.
The Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, which organised the event, hopes this year’s fair will bring more visitors from the mainland following the lift of Covid travel restrictions.
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“This year’s book fair is the first since Hong Kong returned to pre-pandemic normality. We are confident that the number of visitors this year will be 800,000 more than last year,” the organiser said.
Tickets for the book fair cost HK$30, and they also allow visitors to attend the World of Snacks and Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo fairs also being held at the convention centre.
Doors are open from 10am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday, 10am to 10pm on Sunday and Monday, and 9am to 5pm on Tuesday.