History reversed: Hong Kong book industry looks to Taiwan, combs through back catalogues amid fears over new national security law
- City long a refuge for intellectuals is now looking at Taiwan to release new potentially ‘subversive’ titles in what one publisher calls an ironic twist of history
- A number of groups putting together books on last year’s anti-government protests have gone knocking on the doors of Taiwanese publishers
China’s new security law has cast a threatening shadow over Hong Kong’s dynamic book industry, with anxious publishers combing through back catalogues for potentially “subversive” material and looking to Taiwan as a safe haven for printing fresh titles.
The city has long been a refuge for intellectuals, free from the authoritarian grip of the Chinese mainland’s communist leaders. But that status is at risk of crumbling as Beijing’s new legislation sends fresh jitters through a publishing industry already wary of overstepping China’s red lines.
The team were forced to review the entire contents of the title – Our Last Evolution – after Beijing served notice of the law in June, and three writers subsequently requested changes. “For the rest, it’s not that they don’t have any fear, they just don’t know what specifically they should worry about,” Woody said, asking to use just a first name.
Beijing has made no secret of its dislike of the books that roll off printing presses in Hong Kong, which often paint an unflattering and at times salacious picture of many Chinese officials.