Hong Kong Book Fair aims to attract more guests from the Greater Bay Area and will hold Roadshows to promote the event

This year's Hong Kong Book Fair, themed "Reading the World: Storytelling from Page to Screen," features over 600 seminars and cultural activities from July 17-23

on Jun 27, 2024

The annual exhibition returns on July 17, and tickets will also give access to the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks, which will be hosted in the same week.

The organizer of Hong Kong's annual book fair says they hope to attract more visitors from the Greater Bay Area during a busy week of conventions, as the city grapples with a growing trend of local consumers crossing the border to spend their money.

This year's seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair will begin on July 17 and will be titled "Reading the World: Storytelling from Page to Screen".

Book fair tickets will cost HK$30 (US$3.84) apiece. The tickets will also include admission to the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks, all of which will take place at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai the same week. The three events will feature approximately 760 exhibitors.

"We will participate because we are already listed as one of the mega events on the government's events calendar," Hong Kong Trade Development Council deputy director Sophia Chong Suk-fan said on Tuesday.

"Combing two other concurrent events under just one ticket is quite attractive for all the family and getting those from the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asia to come to Hong Kong."

The bay region is a growing economic zone that includes Hong Kong, Macau, and nine mainland Chinese cities, with a total population of 86 million.

The council that organizes the book expo stated that it intends to do roadshows in Shenzhen and Guangzhou early next month to promote the event.

Last year's book expo had 990,000 people, with tourists accounting for 10% of the total.

The upcoming festival will feature over 600 seminars and cultural activities, including works by writers and film directors like as Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark, and Ann Hui On-wah.

Yuyi, the author of City of Darkness, will speak at one session about his creative path and how his work was transformed into the hit film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In as well as a comic.

The event will also employ artificial intelligence algorithms to generate scenes from great films for guests to use as photo backdrops, with options such as In the Mood for Love, Infernal Affairs, Kung Fu Hustle, and the Japanese cartoon Spirited Away.