Some say achieving the great reconciliation between Hong Kong and mainland politics is easier said than done. But, at the Hong Kong Book Fair, it has already happened.
The week-long event, which ended last week, has come a long way in its 23 years to become 'simply the world's largest Chinese book fair', as the organiser, Trade Development Council chairman Jack So Chak-kwong, puts it.
But to call it a book fair is an understatement. It is an expo of knowledge and ideas, where the Chinese-speaking world's leading authors and publishers can present, exchange and contest their ideas - regardless of political background or personal agenda. It is a platform for various Chinese communities and groups to showcase their literary 'soft power'. This peaceful co-existence and civility deserves serious attention.
The sessions with authors are one of the fair's most unique attractions. Sure, it attracts international big shots, like Stephen Fry and Frederick Forsyth. But household names from Greater China also come, allowing readers to put faces to their names. They include iconic mainland writers who are censored at home, but speak more freely with less fear of repercussion here.
Take Zhang Yihe, the author of numerous biographies and books on Chinese art. She is also the daughter of Zhang Bojun, a politician labelled China's 'No1 rightist' and purged by Mao Zedong in the 1950s. Zhang Yihe's appearance at the book fair in 2010 made her a sensation when she declared: 'China has not made any progress whatsoever. If there was any, it was only because it couldn't get any worse.'
This year, the 70-year old writer returned to speak about a revised edition of her banned memoir about the 1950s purges, The Past Is Not Like (Dissipating) Smoke. More compelling was her joint session with Kenneth Pai Hsien-yung, the renowned Taiwanese writer and son of a Kuomintang general. Both reflected on China's history and offered perspectives distinct from the official Communist and Nationalist versions.
The dialogue attracted a capacity crowd, leaving hundreds to watch a live video relay outside the hall. Yet the two-hour proceeding was smooth and civilised, displaying a high degree of composure from all participants. Last year, 130,000 attended the meet-the-author sessions, no small feat for the publishers.