Celebrated International Authors Set for Book Fair Next Week

14 July 2016 – The highly anticipated Hong Kong Book Fair will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next week starting from 20 July and continuing through 26 July. An annual cultural highlight, the fair is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and will feature more than 600 international exhibitors and a range of cultural activities including seminars, readings, new book parades, storytelling sessions and performances with the aim of cultivating the public’s cultural awareness and interest in reading.

World of Knowledge Seminar Series
A major highlight of the Hong Kong Book Fair, the World of Knowledge Seminar Series will feature renowned international authors and works in different languages.

With support from the British Council, Hong Kong-born British poet and TS Eliot prize recipient Sarah Howe will take part in a conversation and reading at the Book Fair for the first time. Ms Howe will discuss her first book, Loop of Jade, in which she explores her dual British and Chinese heritage and her journey to Hong Kong in search of her roots. Another author with a strong Hong Kong connection is Mark O’Neill, whose profession as a journalist, lecturer and writer led him to explore different countries in Asia before settling in Hong Kong in 1978. The Miraculous History of China’s Two Palace Museums, his sixth book on Chinese history, tells the story behind the two Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei, and how thousands of crates of priceless artworks were moved around China for 16 years before they arrived safely in Taiwan in early 1949.

The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau, meanwhile, has arranged for children’s and young adult book author Elisabeth Brami and journalist and author Florence de Changy to introduce their works. Author of more than 100 books and novels, Polish-born French writer Ms Brami, who is also a psychologist, will talk about her work and her aspiration to help children and adults ”read the world” as a way to promote peaceful living through mutual respect. She will read one of her illustrated books The Two Trees, which has been well received and translated into Chinese in 2008. Also from France is seasoned journalist Ms de Changy, who has been covering news in the Asia-Pacific region for the last 25 years. She will discuss her new book, What Happened to Flight MH370: Beyond the Official Narrative, which investigates the various theories about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 two years ago.

With support from the Consuls General of Mexico, Peru and the Argentine Republic, Rodrigo Cacho, an expert in Renaissance and Baroque cultures, will join the Book Fair to share his thoughts on Spanish-American colonial literature. Reader in Spanish Golden Age and Colonial Studies at the University of Cambridge, Mr Cacho was awarded the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship last year and is currently preparing a monograph on Spanish-American colonial poetry.

The “Wallace Chan: A Journey of Jewelry, Art and Creation”  seminar will feature local artisan jeweller Wallace Chan, who is best known for his subtle touch and use of light as the leitmotif for his colourful, sensual jewels. Also speaking at the seminar will be Emily Banis Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she oversees a collection that spans 6,000 years and includes more than 22,000 objects.

At the seminar entitled “China’s Economy: Powerhouse, Menace or the Next Japan”, Arthur R Kroeber, one of the world’s leading commentators on the Chinese economy, will answer questions about the mainland’s economic outlook as it shifts from an investment-driven to a consumer-oriented economy.

Tickets on sale
Tickets to the Book Fair are now available at Hong Kong Ticketing and designated 7-11 and Circle K convenience stores. Electronic ticketing for the Book Fair is available for the first time this year. The public can purchase tickets via the “TNG e-Wallet” App. There will also be Morning Admission Tickets and a Special Re-entry Promotion (details below). Seminars are also open for online registration. Visitors to Hong Kong can receive a $10 concession ticket at the fair’s ticketing counters by presenting valid travel documents.

The 27^th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair

Media Enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department:

Nick Waters             Tel: (852) 2584 4517           Email: nick.waters@hktdc.org

Media Registration: Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.

To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc

About the HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year. The HKTDC is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.