Too hot to handle - Book Fair organisers ban pseudo-models

Fans of Chrissie Chau Sau-na will be heartbroken. The shapely pseudo-model and her ilk have been banned from this year's Book Fair after the storm last year over the signing of copies of risque photo books.

For the Trade Development Council, which organises the event, it's all a matter of good taste.

'The purpose of the Book Fair is to promote a good reading culture and it is a healthy event,' spokesman William Cheung said yesterday. 'Last year we received lots of complaints from parents, educational and religious groups concerning [these pseudo-models'] appearances.'

The pseudo-models, known as lang mo in Cantonese, attracted droves of besotted young male fans but were accused of hijacking a cultural event to promote their bodies.

Chau had been planning to stage another autograph session to promote her new photo album, Les Vancances d'amour, but the plan was scrapped after her's was one of several applications rejected by an advisory group yesterday.

'This is just idiotic,' Chau said. 'Who are these well-educated cultured people sitting in the advisory group? It's like this public platform has been dominated by this small group of people. I really don't understand.'