It seems that when book fair time rolls around again in late July, a good percentage of Hong Kong’s population of seven million people is out and about to participate in the annual book fair. In 2009, the event saw around 900,000 visitors, up by 8% even from record year 2008.
Events at Hong Kong Book Fair
Hong Kong Book Fair is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and various publisher and bookseller associations. It is a popular meeting ground for the many professional visitors like publishers, booksellers, printers, distributors and writers. For the around 500 exhibitors, among them100 international ones, selling is the main incentive at the well-visited fair.
In addition, more than 200 cultured events are open to professionals and the general public alike, among them
- the Renowned Writers Lecture Series,
- the Reading Hong Kong Lecture Series,
- Storytelling by Celebrities,
- Children’s Paradise Section and other family events
Hong Kong Book Fair Opening Hours and Location
The book fair will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at 1 Expo Drive in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Visitors should take the Harbour Road Entrance. Long opening hours, especially on the weekend, make it easy to catch the event at least once:
- Wednesday, July 21: 9 am – 10 pm
- Thursday, July 22: 10 am – 10 pm
- Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24: 10 am – midnight
- Sunday, July 25 and Monday, July 26: 10 am – 10 pm
- Tuesday, July 27: 10 am – 5 pm
Hong Kong Book Fair Tickets
Admission to Hong Kong Book Fair is free for children under the age of 3 years and senior citizens over the age of 65. Ticket prices are:
- Adults: HK$25 ($3.20)
- Children (primary school): HK$10 ($1.30)
- Morning admission (entry before 12 pm): HK$10 ($1.30)
Hong Kong’s Reading Habits
With Chinese and English as official languages and a bilingual education system, Hong Kong is a major publishing and printing hub and an important gateway to the Asian book market. A survey conducted at last year’s fair sheds light on some interesting book facts:
- about 60% of all Hongkongers spend five hours or more reading a week
- Chinese books and journals are the most popular (72%)
- English books make up 27% of the preferred reading material
- 40% of those surveyed purchase books more than once a month
- bookstores, Hong Kong Book Fair, the Internet, supermarkets and convenience stores are the main book buying areas
- the average amount spent on books each year is HK$2,071 ($265); of those HK$469 (or $61) at the fair itself
Those visiting Hong Kong from July 21-27 should not miss a visit to the bustling Hong Kong Book Fair. About 10,000 publishing professionals from abroad target the fair; aided by the fact that visitors from the UK, EU and USA do not need a visa if their stay does not exceed 180, 90 and 90 days, respectively.
Readers interested in this article might also like to read about the World eBook Fair, July 4 – August 4.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
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