THE 22nd annual Hong Kong Book Fair will be bigger and better than ever. A record-breaking 520 exhibitors from over 16 countries are now taking part in the event alongside 300 cultural events at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

    Even though crowd-drawing lang mo (young models) are still banned from holding book signings or lewd publicity events within the event’s premises, a million visitors are expected for the weeklong event, which The Independent has dubbed “a social phenomenon.”

    A new e-publishing section will be launched this year named the Digital Reading Interactive Zone. More than 20 companies from around the world will be selling e-book readers and other devices in this section.

    In addition, the guest speaker list for the “How and What and Why do Writers Write?” lecture at the Hong Kong Book Fair Forum reads like a who’s who of the literary world, including food critic and essayist A. A. Gill, historian David Starkey, author and Condé Naste International Vice President Nicholas Coledridge and food writer Tom Parker Bowles.

    Representing Asian wordsmithery will be the likes of Tabish Khair, 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize winner Bi Feiyu and Hong Kong’s own Xu Xi who will each speak at the fair’s Public Sessions with Renowned English-language Author.

    Chinese literary celebrities like Shi Shuqing, Bei Dao, A Lai and Chi Li will also give speeches at the fair.(SD-Agencies)