34th Hong Kong Book Fair opens on 17 July

One ticket for three major events

HONG KONG, June 25, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The 34th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held from 17 to 23 July (Wednesday to Tuesday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), running concurrently with the HKTDC Sports and Leisure Expo and HKTDC World of Snacks. With a single ticket, visitors can immerse themselves in the worlds of literature, sports and leisure activities and global snacks, with some 760 exhibitors across the three fairs. This year's Book Fair will stage more than 600 cultural events onsite and off-site, including acclaimed writers’ seminars and book launches to help promote a stronger reading culture in Hong Kong.

Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “The Hong Kong Book Fair Cultural Events Advisory Panel voted Film and Television Literature as the theme of the year. With the tagline Reading the World: Storytelling from Page to Screen, we aim to leverage this popular theme to encourage more locals and tourists to discover the joys of reading and appreciate the charm of Hong Kong's literary, film and television works, help shaping Hong Kong into an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange. The Book Fair runs concurrently with the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks, and together these three major events will create summer fun for people of all ages and reinforce the concept that ‘Tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong’.”

Art Gallery exhibits take visitors from page to screen

The Book Fair continues to receive funding from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency to support featured activities, including the Art Gallery, World of Art & Culture, the International Publishing Forum and the debut of IP Roundtable.

The popular Art Gallery will be exhibiting a wide range of works from the featured writers of the year, including Erica Li, Raymond To, Joyce Chan, Norris Wong, Chiang Hiu Mei, and Law Kar, highlighting their publications, manuscripts, awards, and movie props. Most of them will also attend the Book Fair in person to engage with visitors both inside and outside the event. The Art Gallery has two other exhibition areas, namely Featured Directors and Classic Literary Adaptations. The former showcases selected works by directors such as Wong Kar-wai, Ho Cheuk-tin, Nick Cheuk, Tsui Hark, Ann Hui and Stanley Kwan; while the latter highlights original novels by writers like Yi Shu, Lilian Lee, Jin Yong, Ni Kuang and Eileen Chang, along with selected clips, posters, e-books and theme songs from respective film adaptations.

World of Art & Culture opens door to different cultures

To guide readers in exploring the world through Hong Kong, the Book Fair has set up the World of Art & Culture, promoting cultural exchange through displaying exhibits from across the globe.  In addition to creations from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the zone will also feature film and television literature from Argentina, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Spain and Switzerland, Vietnam and more. Echoing this year’s fair theme, the World of Art & Culture features an AI-powered interactive installation. Visitors can select keywords to recompose iconic scenes from global films and TV shows, including In the Mood for Love, Infernal Affairs, Kung Fu Hustle, Blade Runner and Spirited Away. Additionally, an interactive map will display filming locations and behind-the-scenes details.

As the East-meets-West centre, Hong Kong is well positioned to promote international cultural exchange, particularly relating to traditional Chinese culture. This year, the Book Fair will feature a Mainland China Publishers Zone with Beijing as the thematic city, demonstrating the cultural allure of the nation's capital. The Book Fair will also host an IP Roundtable for the first time on the second day (18 July), inviting representatives from the international publishing and copyright industries to discuss the challenges and opportunities that AI is bringing to IP and copyright commercialisation.

Eight Seminar Series invites literary giants to host seminars

The Book Fair will continue to feature the Eight Seminar Series, with authors invited to share and exchange ideas on topics including Theme of the Year, Renowned Writers, English and International Reading, World of Knowledge, Children and Youth Reading, Hong Kong Cultural and Historical, Lifestyle and Personal Development and Spiritual Growth. One seminar has invited Yuyi, the author of the original novel City of Darkness, which was adapted into the hit movie “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”, to share his creative journey and the process of adapting the story into comics and a film, as well as the challenges he encountered along the way.

The Renowned Writers Seminar Series, co-organised with Ming Pao and Yazhou Zhoukan, will invite heavyweight Chinese-language writers from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to speak at the fair. The lineup includes Su Tong, a pioneer of Chinese avant-garde fiction; Jin Yucheng, who won the Lu Xun Literary Award for his novel Blossoms Shanghai; and Ban Yu, one of the three trailblazers of the Dongbei renaissance.

This year, the English and International Reading Seminar Series fully reflects Hong Kong's internationality. The global authors sharing at the event include British scholar Christopher Cowell, who explores the relationship between architecture and urban cultural history; renowned Czech illustrator and animation director Galina Miklínová; Korean writer Mirinae Lee, who has been shortlisted for a women's fiction award and more; and Thai author Narisapongse Rakwattananont, recipient of the Southeast Asian Literature Award. Speakers at other seminars include business management expert, writer and poet Feng Tang; aerospace expert Lui Kin-Chuen; and local lyricist scholar Chu Yiu-wai. The Story Sharing by Celebrities session will feature singer Serrini, CUHK Medical School Associate Dean Dr Teoh Yuen-chun, renowned pianist Lee Ka-ling, and Ngong Ping 360 Managing Director Tung Pui-chuen. For more details on the seminars and the lineup of speakers, please visit:

https://hkbookfair.hktdc.com/en/Events/Event-Schedule.html

Sports and Leisure Expo gets into the Olympic spirit

The Sports and Leisure Expo will highlight a mosaic wall set up by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (Booth 5C-C02) where visitors can become part of the photo wall to show their support for Hong Kong athletes preparing for the Paris Olympics. There will also be sharing sessions by renowned athletes, featuring the captain of the Hong Kong Men’s Dodgeball Team, Luen Tsz-yu; Hong Kong Men's Rugby Sevens representative Yiu Kam-shing; and former Hong Kong Karatedo and Athletics representative Tong Cheuk-pan, among others. The athletes will share their experiences and journeys as sportsmen, inspiring visitors with their stories of dedication and achievement.

The Sports and Leisure Expo will also present a diverse array of health-promoting and entertaining sports and leisure products and experiences, enabling visitors of all ages to enjoy the fun of sports. The Hong Kong Playground Association (Booth 5C-D02) is again displaying its always-popular mobile rope nets along with a new parent-child zipline experience in the Sports Hub zone. Under the guidance of instructors, participants can navigate through various obstacles and a 15-metre-long zipline to enjoy an exhilarating ride.

The perennially popular Japan Pavilion will expand further this year to reach its largest scale since the pandemic. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) (Booth 5B-D02) will team up with 18 Japanese prefectures to showcase the rich traditional culture of Japan, with Hokkaido Prefecture (Booth 5B-E02) introducing its latest travel information, setting up virtual reality experiences and photo spots. The Ainu Indigenous Culture Experience zone will also showcase the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park. The World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai (Booth 5B-E11) will also participate, introducing the expo theme, Designing Future Society for Our Lives, to visitors.

A feast for the tastebuds at World of Snacks

This year’s World of Snacks has brought together more than 1,200 different snacks, divided into six zones, Travel Delights, Chocolate and Sweet Factory, Oldie Snacks, Yummy & Healthy, Party Time and Snack Bar, presenting a variety of classic flavours, healthy options and taste sensations from around the world. Making its debut at the event, Nestlé (Booth 5B-B02)  will launch new ice cream flavours and offer special promotions, including a buy-one-get-one-free offer on ice cream cups or scoops, redeemable with any purchase receipt from the Book Fair or the Sports and Leisure Expo.

Cultural July connects different sectors to promote city-wide love of literature

In addition to the Book Fair, the HKTDC has actively collaborated with various partners, including the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, publishers and educational, cultural and arts institutions, to organise a series of Cultural July activities. From 24 June to 31 July, Cultural July will feature a diverse range of events, including author sharing sessions, storytelling theatre, film-related activities, exhibitions, handicraft workshops and cultural sharing sessions, all aimed at fostering a city-wide love of reading.

Tickets for the Hong Kong Book Fair, Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and World of Snacks can be purchased through e-payment sponsor BoC Pay, other ticketing partners including Alipay HK, Alipay, 01 Space and Octopus, or at convenience stores around Hong Kong. A single ticket will grant access to all three events. Tickets will be available for sale on different platforms starting from tomorrow (26 June). This year, the adult ticket price remains at HK$30. Those who enter the venue through the admission gates before 12pm and pay with their Octopus card will enjoy a discounted entry fee of HK$10.

Photo download: https://bit.ly/3zaNp7m

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

Hong Kong Book Fair, Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and World of Snacks
Yuan Tung Financial Relations:
Anson Wong, Tel: (852) 3428 3413, Email: awong@yuantung.com.hk
Agnes Yiu, Tel: (852) 3428 5690, Email: ayiu@yuantung.com.hk
Tiffany Leung, Tel: (852) 3428 2361, Email: tleung@yuantung.com.hk

HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Hong Kong Book Fair
Snowy Chan, Tel: (852) 2584 4525, Email: snowy.sn.chan@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: (852) 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, World of Snacks
Jane Cheung, Tel: (852) 2584 4137, Email: jane.mh.cheung@hktdc.org

HKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com   

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn