For the love of a good book

PROPERTY developers are not the only ones who find small, old flats in rundown buildings appealing these days. Literature lover Jimmy Pang Chi-ming also sees their potential - to be turned into small bookshops, dedicated not to profit but to the enjoyment of the printed word.

Mr Pang, a former film producer and scriptwriter, has recently opened such a 'second-floor' bookshop in a 900-square-foot room above Nathan Road.

Shops like his, tucked away on the upper floors of a commercial-cum-residential building, were popular 20 years ago when teachers and others sought shops with a 'bookish' atmosphere.

But numbers have shrunk from around 50 in the 70s to less than 20 in recent years due to increased competition from larger bookshops run by leading publishers.

Mr Pang's shop, unlike the glitzier ground-floor shops in the area, aims for friendliness above glamour. 'The most important thing is to have a place like this, where people can meet. My shop is a good place to get to know people. I am always down there myself in the evening, chatting to customers. That helps me understand the market, readers' tastes better.' The shop is cleanly laid out with a wide selection of Chinese books, including satire published by Mr Pang's company, Subculture. Placed near the narrow entrance is a pile of the newly-released work, The Private Life of Bighead Li, which satirises Chinese Premier Li Peng and is banned in stores run by mainland companies.

'With this shop, at least I have an outlet for my own publications.' said Mr Pang, 39. 'Many books come on to the market each day and not every outlet will sell our books even though there is a demand for them.' Such shops are made possible by the cheaper rent for the upstairs location - $15,000 a month compared with over $200,000 for a shop of the same size and location on street level.

For Mr Pang, it has always been a dream to open a bookstore of his own. Making huge profits takes a back seat to simply having such a venue.