BOOKS can enable Hongkongers to look beyond their day-to-day lives and learn about the city’s past and the world beyond its borders, exhibitors at this year’s Book Fair say.

    This year’s fair, which opened yesterday and runs until July 22 at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, features a record 570 exhibitors from 31 countries and territories, the organizer said.

    Old and new elements come together, with Saudi Arabian and Colombian authors showcased for the first time, while veteran Hong Kong publishers guide visitors through the city’s history.

    A themed exhibition focuses on Hong Kong’s publishing history. Visitors can see examples of old printing and historical books or take a closer look at more recent publications from the past two decades.

    They can take home copies of magazines published in the 1970s and 1980s, including popular women’s magazines with erotic covers but conservative romantic stories inside.

    They can also pose for photographs at a mock-up bookstore modeled on the first branch of The Commercial Press, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

    The company has also published a series of books on Hong Kong culture and history to celebrate the anniversary, according to deputy manager Mok Yat-fung.

    One of the books focuses on post-war architecture, much of which has been demolished over the years. Another tells the story of the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road using interviews with former occupants and neighbors. The quarters have featured in the news more recently with their redevelopment into PMQ, a creative hub and shopping mall.

    Chung Hwa Book Company is also taking a local approach. One of its books, “Oldies’ Slang,” introduces readers to Cantonese slang through the decades. Another, “3/4 Hong Kong” by a Taiwanese author, describes the hiking opportunities in the city, which are less well-known internationally than its urban concrete jungle.

    But the fair has plenty to offer those wanting to look beyond Hong Kong’s borders, according to South China Morning Post.

    In the Japan booth, visitors can read about Tama the cat, the celebrity “station master” who has presided over Kishi Station in Kinokawa City in Wakayama prefecture since 2007. Or they can pay homage to late Gabriel Garcia Marquez in the shared booth of Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The booth showcases a writer from each country.

    “It’s the 100th anniversary of Octavio Paz, who was a well-known poet. This section pays homage to him,” Tania Libertad Hernandez, Mexico’s consul for cultural affairs, said.

    Marquez is Colombia’s featured writer, Peru is showcasing Mario Vargas Llosa.

    “Hong Kong is very international, but it has to learn more about foreign countries. Hong Kong is like a showcase for China. We need to encourage people here to learn more about Latin countries and also, for them to learn Spanish,” said Hernandez.

    France has a strong presence with three authors, Francois Dremeaux, David Foenkinos and Olivier Lebe participating. British writers Susan Barker, Lawrence Osborne and Peter Suart, and American journalist Barbara Demick are also attending.

    (SD-Agencies)