THE 29th Hong Kong Book Fair, to be held from July 18 to 24 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, will see a record number of about 680 exhibitors present on a wide range of books from 37 countries and regions.

The event is being organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), who hold such cultural events to promote cultural exchanges.

Over the past few years, the fair has attracted a large number of readers,  especially those from the cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, said Sophia Chong, assistant executive director of HKTDC.

Romantic Literature is the theme of the year for this fair. An art gallery will be set up to showcase “love between the lines.”

This exhibition will feature rare collections from famous Hong Kong romance writers around the 1990s, such as Eileen Chang, Yi Shu and Zita Law.

Some of the popular romance authors will share their thoughts and experiences across a series of seminars, while clips of their work adapted for film and theater will also be played.

Around 310 cultural events catering to different interests and age groups will be staged during the fair. Some of the events are globally linked. Highlights include the English Reading and Creative Writing Seminar Series as well as the World of Knowledge Seminar Series.

Young writers M.A. Bennett from the United Kingdom as well as Sharlene Teo and Balli Kaur Jaswal from Singapore will share with the audiences how their life experiences have led them to writing as a career.

According to the organizer, the writing seminar series has attracted a number of students and English readers over recent years.

Mexican writers Diana Coronado and Nashua Gallagher, respectively the founder and director of Hong Kong-based literature organization Peel Street Poetry, will attend a sharing session on Baroque love poetry and prose from the Spanish-speaking world.

In the International Cultural Village, consulates and cultural promotion organizations from 32 countries will display their local books and cultural products.

France, Germany, Italy and Poland, together with new participants Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece and Ireland, are joining forces to set up a European Union Pavilion.

A Japan Pavilion will bring Japanese literature, classic manga and virtual reality (VR) experiences for readers to the fair.

A display on Cantonese Opera will spotlight a diverse collection of exhibits such as costumes, special magazine issues and promotion leaflets.

Ticketing:

Morning admission ticket: HK$10

(For entry at or before midday. Tickets are sold only at the fairground. Same admission fee applies to both children and adults.)

Standard adult ticket: HK$25

Child ticket: HK$10 (for children under 1.22m tall)

Tourist ticket concession:

Visitors to Hong Kong can purchase HK$10 concession tickets at the fairground’s ticketing counters by presenting valid travel documents.

For more details, see www. hkbookfair.hktdc.com  (SD-Agencies)