Latest news with #HongKongBookFair
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
TBR (To Be Read): Book fairs and bookshops help build a thriving reading culture
SINGAPORE – What contributes to a vibrant reading culture? A recent visit to Hong Kong triggered the question anew. It was a busman's holiday as I took the opportunity to drop in at the Hong Kong Book Fair and check out the independent Hunter Bookstore, which was running a tiny indie fair called Reading Everywhere.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Law Society Boosts Youth Education on Hong Kong's Rule of Law
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Launched at the Hong Kong Book Fair 2025, the illustrated book follows a bear family to a trial at the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, introducing young readers to the true meaning of the rule of law and the common law system. Crafted with contributions from experienced solicitors, the book conveys complex concepts such as equality before the law and judicial independence in a clear and concise manner. President of the Law Society, Mr Roden Tong, said that, 'as the statutory self-regulatory body and professional association for solicitors in Hong Kong, the Law Society has a social responsibility to guide children in distinguishing right from wrong, especially when they encounter new ideas.' He added, 'by teaching legal principles early, a law-abiding mindset that shapes positive social values will be rooted in their minds. The book can be a tool for parents to teach the importance of the rule of law. We hope the public can easily learn the laws.' At its book fair booths, a five-year-old boy, Pak-kiu, shared that the book introduced him to new legal knowledge, such as the courtroom's prohibition on photography. 'Now I even know who Lady Justice Themis is!' he exclaimed. The animated illustrations immediately caught his eye, especially the legal bears with lovely smiles. 'Their grins are so beautiful—I love how cute they are!'Pak-kiu also raved about his joyous moments at the Law Society's interactive booths, where he won prizes from a short legal quiz. Thrilled to return, he has already planned a trip back with his classmates to try his luck again. The publication aligns with the Law Society's long-standing commitment to public legal education through programmes like the 'Teen Talk' GBA Study Tour, which has sparked an interest in law among young people. At the beginning of July, 'Teen Talk' held a GBA Study Tour to Shenzhen. This second annual tour, conducted entirely in English, aimed to deepen students' understanding of 'One Country, Two Systems' by introducing them to Hong Kong's unique advantages as the only Chinese and English bilingual common law jurisdiction, fostering cross-border legal understanding and cultural exchange.
HKFP
23-07-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Lower turnout at Hong Kong Book Fair after Typhoon Wipha hit city
Around 890,000 people visited the Hong Kong Book Fair this year – a 10 per cent drop from last year's event, the organiser has said. In comparison, the book fair attracted 990,000 visitors last year. The Hong Kong Book Fair 2025, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from Wednesday to Tuesday, was forced to close on Sunday due to Typhoon Wipha. Afterwards, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which organises the annual fair, extended the opening hours on Monday. The organiser tried to put a positive spin on the lower turnout. 'Although the passage of the typhoon forced a full-day closure on Sunday, the three exhibitions still attracted 890,000 visits,' the HKTDC said in a statement on Tuesday. Visitors from mainland China, Japan, and Southeast Asia attended the book fair, the organiser also said. More than 860 visitors who took part in a survey commissioned by the HKTDC spent an average of HK$918, showing a slight increase from last year despite the typhoon-induced closure on Sunday, according to the HKTDC statement. One exhibitor was quoted as saying that the first three days exceeded projections by 30 per cent. However, local media reported that booksellers saw lower sales this year by around 10 to 20 per cent compared with last year. Some also said fewer people visited the fair on Monday than in the first few days. At least three independent publishers were barred from participating in the 2025 book fair. Two of them, Bbluesky and Boundary Bookstore, were ordered by the HKTDC to remove certain titles from their shelves last year.
South China Morning Post
22-07-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Visitors to Hong Kong Book Fair drop by 10% as typhoon puts dampener on event
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. Advertisement 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 about 10 per cent from the 990,000 recorded in 2024. 'The enthusiasm of book lovers remained undiminished despite the typhoon on Sunday,' said Sophia Chong Suk-fan, the council's deputy executive director. 'Many seized the time before and after the typhoon to visit and immerse themselves in this cultural and leisure extravaganza, with a robust turnout.' Advertisement The organiser was forced to suspend the event for the whole day on Sunday, when Wipha's approach prompted the city to issue a No 10 hurricane signal – its highest typhoon warning.
RTHK
22-07-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Book fair vendors have final shot at boosting sales
Book fair vendors have final shot at boosting sales Exhibitors at the book fair offer discounts and special promotions to boost sales. Photo: RTHK Many booklovers flocked to the fair to find bargains. Photo: RTHK Exhibitors at the Hong Kong Book Fair made a last-ditch effort to boost sales on Tuesday, offering additional discounts and promotions on the final day of the annual event. The fair, held alongside the World of Snacks fair and the Sports and Leisure Expo at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, didn't open on Sunday when Typhoon Wipha skirted past the city. Alva Au, director of Cosmos Books, said the publisher was offering special offers on certain books to try to make up for the business disruption over the weekend. 'Our business has been greatly affected by the typhoon. Saturday and Sunday are [traditionally] the two days with the best sales at the book fair. And I don't think we can make up for the loss on the Sunday. I think it's about a 20 to 30 percent [drop in business],' she said. 'In the beginning, we offered 20 percent off. And today, we selected some special books and can offer 30 percent off. We hope it can attract more people.' To boost sales, major publishers like Commercial Press, Chung Hwa Book and Ming Pao also slashed prices on selected books, to as low as HK$10 each. There were also special offers like "HK$100 for 10 books" and extra discounts for more purchases, as vendors tried to sell as many books as they could. The fair was fairly quiet in the morning, but crowds of people started flocking there in the afternoon looking for bargains. A visitor surnamed Kwok planned to spend about HK$1,000. 'I came a few days ago and I had a great experience. I came back to find some discounted books,' she said. Another bookworm, a woman surnamed Yu returned to the fair with her son after going alone last week. 'The discounts today are much larger compared to last time,' she said. 'I returned to the same publisher to make purchases. Previously, they offered about 20 to 30 percent off, but this time it's up to 60 percent off. I'm buying books that were previously only on my wish list or under consideration. I have a budget of about HK$2,000 to HK$3,000 today.'
