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Book fair to boost family reading

Felix Lo

More than three dozen book-selling booths will be set up on the streets of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay this weekend for a festival aimed at promoting family reading.

The first Wan Chai Book Festival will bring together 20 book stores offering Chinese and English publications at discounts of up to 20 per cent.

John Tse Wing-ling, convenor of the festival's working committee, said he hoped Wan Chai, which has more than 60 book stores, would become associated with books just as Shamshuipo is associated with computer shops.

'With the recent opening of flagship book stores in the two districts, a critical mass of readers is being built up. So, inspired by this, we've taken the lead to further promote the reading culture there,' Mr Tse said.

The 37 booths will be set up on Saturday and Sunday in Lockhart Road, East Point Road and Great George Street. Book exhibitions and seminars will be held at the Paterson Street South Pedestrian Precinct.

Bookshops and publishers taking part include Commercial Press, Dymocks Booksellers, Joint Publishing, Methodist Bookroom and Xinhua Book City.

Special seminars on the trend towards English reading in Hong Kong, the development of book stores on the second floor of old buildings, and the trend towards reading simplified Chinese characters will be held from noon to 7pm on Sunday. The seminars will be staged in marquees in the Paterson Street precinct.

Participants in the book exhibitions and seminars include Book Festival, RTHK, the Hong Kong Arts Centre, and the Boys' and Girls' Club Association of Hong Kong.

In another effort to promote reading in the area, the Cultural and Leisure Services Committee and members of Wan Chai District Council are jointly publishing a map of book stores and places for relaxed reading in Wan Chai.

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