Book fairs multiply as rents rise and main event becomes too busy
Book fairs are becoming more popular as rent rises hit bookshop takings, according to a leading publisher.
There will be four fairs this month and next covering 17 days in all. BookFest @ Hong Kong 2009 and the first part of the Wan Chai Book Fair series were launched yesterday. The two-day Kowloon Book Fair opens today.
'Rent increases are common and force bookshops to move to higher levels in shopping centres,' said Tsang Hip-tai, director and vice-president of Sino United Publishing, the biggest publishing group in the city. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of Reading at Southorn 2009 in Wan Chai yesterday.
Tsang said book fairs could increase market size and reach people who did not visit bookshops regularly.
The general manager of Ming Pao Publishing, William So Wai-leung, agreed that bookstores had moved to smaller shops due to rent rises. Asked about the increasing trend of book fairs, So said: 'In the past, the only book fair was the Hong Kong Book Fair held in July. It was too packed, with too many new releases concentrated at one time.'
Last year Reading at Southorn - in Southorn Playground - attracted more than 70,000 visitors, and 85,000 are expected this year.
Visitor Crystal Wang said: 'Having more book fairs is good because older titles that are difficult to find in stores can be found here.'
The second part of the series 'Reading in Causeway Bay' will be held behind the Sogo store in Lockhart Road on January 16 and 17. An acid attack near the venue last week has not deterred organisers. District councillor Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting said police had re-evaluated safety and visitors would be protected under a larger tent. She did not expect a drop in visitors as a result of the acid attack.
Tsang said book fairs did not affect sales at bookstores, but they were not always profitable. BookFest @ Hong Kong, which is organised by publishing company Popular Holdings in the Convention and Exhibition Centre, was first held last year at a loss, with 100,000 visitors.
'One has to start somewhere and the goal is long-term,' said director Iris Lok Hou-ming. 'That more people care about culture is already an achievement.'
Lok expected four times as many visitors this year because the event had been advertised through more media channels, including MTR billboards. Also, twice as many new titles will be released at the fair.
So said: 'Traditionally, few Chinese titles are released in December. This year, the organiser communicated with publishers earlier to arrange release dates during the fair.'
Pseudo-models would not attend BookFest as they did the Hong Kong Book Fair, said Lok, who is aiming to draw visitors with kids' favourites such as Ronald McDonald and book signings by renowned authors.
Lok added that the fair was different because books displayed in the 60,000 sq ft space were sorted by categories rather than by publishers, which made it easier for readers to browse.
One regular visitor to such fairs appreciated the extra space at the BookFest venue and welcomed the ban on pseudo-models.
BookFest runs until December 29. English classics and new fiction are among its one million titles. The Kowloon Book Fair is held at the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity in Junction Road.
