15 July 2022 – The
32nd HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is once again holding the popular “Eight Seminar Series”, with highlights this year including the “
Renowned Writers Seminar Series”, co-organised by
Ming Pao and
Yazhou Zhoukan, and the “
English and International Reading Series”, supported by
Book Depository. This year’s Book Fair, which runs from 20 to 26 July (Wednesday to Tuesday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) under the theme “
History and City Literature”, has invited acclaimed local and foreign writers to speak at a series of virtual and in-person seminars, sharing the challenges and triumphs they face during their writing journey.
The “
Renowned Writers Seminar Series” is honoured to invite
Liu Zhen-yun, winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, and
Sisy Chen, a famous Taiwanese author and television host, to be guest speakers. Mr Liu will introduce his latest work,
Laughter and Tears: A Novel, while Ms Chen will analyse the direction society is taking in a seminar titled "In the 21st Century, We Go from Civilisation to Barbarism". Other authors in the star-studded line-up include Zhou Guo-ping and Zhi An from Mainland China; Sun Sai-shing, Li Pi, Johnson Chang, Liu Heung-shing, Xu Zi-dong, Ho Fuk-yan and Nicole Huang from Hong Kong; Xie Yong-mao and Bo-Chow Lan from Taiwan; and Honda Yoshihiko from Japan.
The “
English and International Reading Series” will invite a number of famous English- and foreign-language writers to speak about their fascinating writing journeys, including British author
Clare Mackintosh and Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author
Gillian McAllister. Translated into more than 40 languages, Clare Mackintosh’s books have sold more than two million copies worldwide and won numerous awards. Among the other speakers are Simon Toyne, Mio Debnam, Mark O’Neill and Maisie Chan. Hong Kong’s booklovers will be able to experience different cultures and broaden their horizons through the sharings of these acclaimed authors.
Liu Zhen-yun – Laughter and Tears: A NovelBorn in Yanjin in Henan Province, Liu Zhenyun started his writing journey at
Farmer's Daily after graduating from the Chinese faculty of Peking University. His style is neo-realism and he writes with a signature sense of humour, and with an emphasis on his hometown in his works. From
Someone to Talk To,
Ground Covered with Chicken Feathers,
Remembering 1942 to
I Did Not Kill My Husband, most of his books reflect the hardships people encountered in the past but in a humorous way, depicting a vivid portrayal of community life.
Mr Liu believes the underlying meaning of comedy is sharing pain. His just-published book
Laughter and Tears: A Novel is a work of black humour, which he summarises as: “one should take encounters in life as jokes and laugh them off”. The book is based on the idea of "jokes", which the author sees as an effective tool to examine the nature of humanity. Many jokes connect people from different groups, areas and nations. The new book enriches the "Yanjin World" constructed in Mr Liu’s previous novels, and fans are eagerly looking forward its unveiling at the Book Fair.
Sisy Chen – from civilisation to barbarismSisy Chen, Jaw Shaw-kong and Li Ao form the famous triumvirate of political commentators in Taiwan. Ms Chen, well known for her multifaceted talents, is a celebrated academic, TV host, radio host, writer and art curator. These diverse experiences empower her with knowledge, wisdom and vision along with accomplished writing skills. Her works cover a wide swathe, including global finance, international politics, short essays, women and love, reflections on life and philosophical speculation. Two of Sisy Chen’s short stories,
Only One Corner of Prosperity is Left and
Tree is Gone, explore international politics and economics with advice for young people on how to handle adversity with fortitude. This dialogue is concluded in
I'm Afraid of Success and
I Believe in Failure, illuminating the way forward for the next generation.
Ms Chen encourages readers to reflect more on international society and history through her words. “Reviewing the past and looking into the future, you should think more about whether we have retrograded from civilisation to barbarism, or if we have become more civilised,” she once said. After going through the pandemic and reflecting on its impact, Ms Chen will share her insights into the post-COVID world with readers.
Clare Mackintosh – from crimefighter to crime writerClare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of five bestselling novels –
I See You, I Let You Go, Let Me Lie, After the End, and
Hostage – which were listed on the bestselling books list of the New York Times and USA Today and topped the Sunday Times bestseller list for 64 weeks. Her latest thriller, Hostage – a locked-room thriller set on a 20-hour flight – has just been released. Ms Mackintosh worked in the police force for 12 years and was once Thames Valley Police's operations inspector for Oxfordshire and town sergeant of Chipping Norton before becoming a full-time writer.
I Let You Go, Clare Mackintosh's top-selling book, describes a hit-and-run accident that kills a lively five-year-old boy. Police Officer Gray and her team take over the investigation and solve the case without any witnesses or clues. In the coming Book Fair seminar session, the author will share her journey from law enforcement officer to crime fiction writer.
Gillian McAllister – how to get and stay publishedRising British author Gillian McAllister was a lawyer before debuting in the book world in 2017. All her works, including
Everything But the Truth, Anything You Do Say, No Further Questions, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, That Night, and the just-published
Wrong Place Wrong Time, are bestsellers. Her debut novel, Everything But the Truth, appeared in the Sunday Times bestseller list at No. 6 in the very first week after publication. Another book,
That Night, was recommended as a must-read by the well-known British TV show,
Richard and Judy Book Club.
Gillian McAllister’s work has been published in 10 countries. All her novels are standalones and can be read in any order. She will be participating in the Hong Kong Book Fair for the first time, sharing the driving force behind her successful journey as an author.
For more information on the full line-up of seminars and authors at the Book Fair, please refer to the links in the profile below. Interested readers may also visit the Hong Kong Book Fair website (
www.hkbookfair.com) to register for free seminars and browse through more details of the fascinating events lined up for this year’s event.
Note: media representatives who wish to interview the guest speakers should email the interview format, outline and contact information on or before July 18 to
ayiu@yuantung.com.hk.
| Date |
20-26 July 2022 (Wednesday to Tuesday) |
| Opening hours |
Hong Kong Book Fair
20-21 July – 10am to 10pm
22-23 July – 10am to 11pm
24-25 July – 10am to 10pm
26 July – 9am to 5pm
Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and World of Snacks
20-25 July – 10am to 8pm
26 July – 9am to 5pm |
| Venue |
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| Admission |
Adult: HK$25
Child: HK$10 (for primary school students/children under 1.2m tall)
Children aged 3 and under and adults aged 65 and over will be admitted free of charge. |
| Tickets |
Tickets are now available at selected Hong Kong Ticketing outlets, all 7-Eleven stores and all Circle K stores.
E-tickets are also available for sale at the 01 Space e-ticketing platform, AlipayHK App, 7-Eleven stores, Circle K stores, Octopus App (more information will be available on the Octopus website) and HK Ticketing website. |
| Concessionary tickets |
Morning admission tickets (entry before noon, same price for adults and children): HK$10 (Pay directly by Octopus for admission at the hall entrances only)
Night admission tickets (entry after 7pm on 20, 21, 24 and 25 July, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday, same price for adults and children): HK$10 (Pay directly by Octopus for admission at the hall entrances only)
Special re-entry promotion: Visitors who purchase a regular adult ticket (HK$25) or child ticket (HK$10) dated 20 or 21 July can enjoy free admission once in each of the following time slots by presenting the whole stub attached to the admission ticket or re-entry coupon distributed onsite:
1) 22-24 July (Friday to Sunday) after 7pm
2) Another free entry on 25 July (Monday) after 7pm
Note: this offer is not applicable to other types of admission tickets (including morning admission tickets, night admission tickets, concessionary tickets, VIP tickets and complimentary tickets)
Super Pass: HK$80
Passholders have unlimited entry to the Book Fair and can use the special access channel to minimise queuing time. |
| Hong Kong Book Fair website and mobile app |
www.hkbookfair.com
hkbookfair.hktdc.com/HKBookfairApp.html
(Check out the details of the book fair and register for the seminar) |
| Hygiene measures and health tips |
hkbookfair.hktdc.com/en/Visitor/Health-Tips.html |
| Cultural July website |
hkbookfair.hktdc.com/CulturalJuly |
| Cultural Journey Online |
hkbookfair.hktdc.com/culturaljourneyonline |
Introduction to writers from the “Renowned Writers Seminar Series”
Introduction to writers from the “English and International Reading Seminar Series” (fully supported by Book Depository) |
https://rb.gy/djjg6w |
| Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo website |
hksportsleisureexpo.hktdc.com |
| World of Snacks website |
worldofsnacks.hktdc.com |
| Education & Careers Expo website |
hkeducationexpo.hktdc.com |
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