https://www.scmp.com/rss/1163/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Guy Haydon Guy Haydon Up-and-coming Hong Kong tennis player Yandy Shek Cheuk-ying clinched her first title as a professional in her home city’s annual tournament as she and other top competitors helped raise money for charity. Shek was one of more than 1,700 entrants in the 77th edition of the CRC Open, which ended last month after five weeks of competition at the Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong (CRCHK) in Tai Hang, near Causeway Bay. Players once again helped raise money for the community by hitting aces during... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338604/operation-santa-claus-victory-rising-hong-kong-tennis-players-ace-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338604/operation-santa-claus-victory-rising-hong-kong-tennis-players-ace-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 07:11:46 +0000 Guy Haydon Guy Haydon A shopping centre’s imaginary world, featuring a festive train station inhabited by colourful animal characters, is adding holiday cheer for shoppers while supporting Hong Kong’s annual fundraising campaign, Operation Santa Claus (OSC). “Ticket to Christmas” is the theme of this year’s celebrations at Admiralty’s Pacific Place and the nearby Starstreet Precinct – a Wan Chai area comprising shops, bars, cafes and restaurants connected to the centre by the Three Pacific Place underground link. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337557/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-shopping-centre-brings-cheer-ticket-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337557/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-shopping-centre-brings-cheer-ticket-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 01:54:08 +0000 Guy Haydon Guy Haydon Tiny panda keychains are spreading festive cheer at Kowloon Shangri-La as the hotel supports Operation Santa Claus (OSC), which is raising funds this year for 13 Hong Kong charities and survivors of last month’s Tai Po fire. The Tsim Sha Tsui hotel has created limited-edition keychains featuring tiny Edward Panda and Ellie Panda soft toys – each dressed in red hats and red Shangri-La uniforms – that are being sold in aid of the annual charity initiative. All proceeds from the sale of the HK$160... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335992/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-hotels-panda-keychains-bring-hope-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335992/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-hotels-panda-keychains-bring-hope-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 03:11:29 +0000 A group of children with autism and other learning disabilities enjoyed playtime during an outdoor Christmas picnic in Hong Kong’s first and only wood fossil park, thanks to a city charity drive. The youngsters and their parents headed to Nina Park earlier this month for a visit organised by Hong Kong property developer Chinachem Group, which has supported Operation Santa Claus (OSC) since 2021, in partnership with Love 21 Foundation, one of the beneficiaries of the annual fundraising initiative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3292824/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-children-autism-go-picnic-nina-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3292824/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-children-autism-go-picnic-nina-park?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2024 02:15:07 +0000 Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is once again supporting Operation Santa Claus (OSC), the annual Christmas charity campaign which helps the underprivileged. For the sixth year in a row, it will donate all the proceeds from sales of its festive “Holiday Wishes Charity Postcards” to the fundraising initiative organised jointly by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK. The resort donated over HK$570,000 (US$73,350) to the campaign last year after selling more than 57,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291825/hong-kong-disneyland-postcard-service-adds-some-magic-charity-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291825/hong-kong-disneyland-postcard-service-adds-some-magic-charity-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Dec 2024 02:15:07 +0000 A Hong Kong shopping centre has said it hopes visitors will “get wild about Christmas” with the help of a group of furry festive monsters to raise money for a charity drive. Among the original, larger-than-life characters at Pacific Place in Admiralty are the Grand Weaver, who spreads warmth through knitting, and energetic spirit of sugary delights Sprinkle. They also include Sparky & Buzz, a dynamic duo who spread joy and togetherness, warm-hearted Master Wrap, who teaches crafting, and Woody... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291654/operation-santa-claus-furry-monster-charity-drive-hong-kong-shopping-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291654/operation-santa-claus-furry-monster-charity-drive-hong-kong-shopping-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2024 03:58:16 +0000 One of Hong Kong’s major philanthropic-focused conglomerates has donated HK$200,000 (US$25,700) to a local Christmas charity drive this year. John Swire and Sons (Hong Kong), the holding company for publicly listed conglomerate Swire Pacific, also donated the same amount to Operation Santa Claus (OSC) in 2023. It has supported the annual fundraising initiative, which is jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK, since 1995. “Swire has been part of the Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291450/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-conglomerate-upholds-steadfast-charity-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291450/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-conglomerate-upholds-steadfast-charity-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong tennis star Maggie Ng Man-ying won three titles – the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles – at an annual tournament in the city where players helped raise money for charity. She beat Justine Leong Kwan-tung 6-3, 7-6 (7-0) in the singles final at the Gym Aesthetics presents Chinese Recreation Club (CRC) Open last month. Teaming up with Leong for the first time, Ng also claimed her third successive ladies’ doubles title at the event after defeating Serbian Marina Filipenko and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290959/hong-kong-tennis-star-wins-treble-players-ace-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290959/hong-kong-tennis-star-wins-treble-players-ace-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 05:36:21 +0000 Cuddly panda toys are leading the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel’s Christmas charity fundraising efforts this year, as part of Hong Kong’s Operation Santa Claus (OSC) campaign. The hotel, located in Tsim Sha Tsui, is once again hosting a wide range of festive attractions that share the theme of Enchanted Wonders to help promote families, joy and togetherness. All proceeds from the sales of the limited-edition HK$250 (US$32) Edward Panda mascots – wearing a jumper, red hat and red-and-white scarf –... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290259/operation-santa-claus-panda-toys-lead-hong-kong-hotels-christmas-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290259/operation-santa-claus-panda-toys-lead-hong-kong-hotels-christmas-charity-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 03:52:58 +0000 Leading Hong Kong sports stars Jack Wong Hong-kit and his younger sister Cody Wong Hong-yi teamed up as they both won two titles at the Chinese Recreation Club Tennis Open 2023 while joining other players in raising funds for charity. The siblings defeated Sunny Yue Ching-ho and Nikita Tang Nok-yiu in the mixed doubles final and Cody Wong, 21, was also crowned ladies’ singles champion after beating Maggie Ng Man-ying. But she missed out on a third title, alongside doubles partner Wang Chaoyi,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246160/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-tennis-siblings-double-success-and-help-tournament-ace-charity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246160/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-tennis-siblings-double-success-and-help-tournament-ace-charity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:40:08 +0000 Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) teamed up with another of the city’s leading companies, Swire Properties, at this year’s White Christmas Street Fair to help “Unlock the Wonder of Christmas” and support local community charities. The CHOCOLATE!-themed event – run by Swire Properties over two weekends from November 30 to December 3, and December 8 to 10 – saw Tong Chong Street at Taikoo Place, in Quarry Bay, transformed into a huge vintage chocolate shop filled with stalls offering tasty Christmas food... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3245927/operation-santa-claus-giant-claw-game-festive-fair-helps-hkt-unlock-wonder-christmas-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3245927/operation-santa-claus-giant-claw-game-festive-fair-helps-hkt-unlock-wonder-christmas-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 01:00:24 +0000 A team of artisan bakers in Hong Kong have created Christmas cake trains, specially decorated in green-and-white-icing livery, to get Kowloon Shangri-La’s annual charity fundraising efforts on the right track. The “Enchanted Wonders” theme for this year’s Christmas celebrations at the Hong Kong hotel helped to inspire the special design of the limited-edition “Wagon Train” dry fruit cake confections, which are shaped like classic steam train carriages. The hotel has been supporting local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244999/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-hotels-christmas-cake-trains-ensure-charity-efforts-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244999/operation-santa-claus-hong-kong-hotels-christmas-cake-trains-ensure-charity-efforts-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 02:00:12 +0000 Hong Kong sports star Jack Wong Hong-kit was in unstoppable form as he retained his men’s singles title at the Chinese Recreation Club Tennis Open 2022 while joining the city’s other leading players in hitting 191 aces to raise nearly HK$50,000 (US$6,420) for charity. Wong beat his regular doubles partner Kevin Wong Chun-Hun 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a repeat of last year’s final. But the duo failed to keep hold of the men’s doubles title after the reigning champions lost 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to Ng Hao-yuan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3203012/hong-kong-tennis-pros-serve-storm-charity-budding-star-shines-annual-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3203012/hong-kong-tennis-pros-serve-storm-charity-budding-star-shines-annual-event?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 02:00:12 +0000 Almost one in six people in Hong Kong are already preparing to emigrate, according to a study carried out by Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The former British territory’s historical links with the United Kingdom and the special visa scheme for British National (Overseas) or BNO passport holders mean that Hongkongers often consider Britain as a top destination for immigration and investment. One survey shows 23.8 per cent of people chose to... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/rethinking-immigration/article/3109076/5-things-watch-out-if-you-want?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/rethinking-immigration/article/3109076/5-things-watch-out-if-you-want?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2020 23:00:16 +0000 One of the secrets to Indonesia painter I Nyoman Masriadi’s phenomenal success is being a night owl. The Bali-born artist, whose latest artwork is currently on show at Art Basel Hong Kong (ending today), likes to paint his huge bold canvases – often featuring black, impossibly muscled figures that have become his signature – in the still of night, while everyone else is asleep. “It’s nice and cool and there is total silence: no distractions,” he says with a smile, looking slightly embarrassed to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3003793/one-indonesias-most-successful-living-artists-burly-black?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3003793/one-indonesias-most-successful-living-artists-burly-black?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Mar 2019 00:45:06 +0000 Macbeth by Jo Nesbo Hogarth 3/5 stars Jo Nesbo, the king of Nordic crime, has reworked one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies for his latest novel, Macbeth. The Norwegian writer’s books have sold more than 36 million copies, thanks, in no small part, to the popularity of the 11 bestselling thrillers starring alcoholic detective Harry Hole (featured in the disappointing 2017 Hollywood treatment of the story, The Snowman, starring Michael Fassbender), who battles his demons along with serial... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/2139317/jo-nesbo-gives-shakespeares-macbeth-nordic-noir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/2139317/jo-nesbo-gives-shakespeares-macbeth-nordic-noir?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:04:05 +0000 The transformation of Hong Kong craft beer company Gweilo Beer, from humble beginnings operating in a spare bedroom to a purpose-built, 1,300-square-metre (14,000-square-foot), US$5 million brewery is almost in the can. Brewing trials began on February 8 and tests are almost complete on a state-of-the-art, US$1.2 million Italian canning machine, capable of producing 6,000 cans per hour. The facility in Fo Tan, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, will be Hong Kong’s largest craft-beer brewery and one... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2133185/hong-kongs-biggest-craft-brewery-gweilo-beer-start-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2133185/hong-kongs-biggest-craft-brewery-gweilo-beer-start-production?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2018 04:45:15 +0000 Household appliances are becoming more sophisticated as manufacturers tailor new products to meet discerning consumers’ fast-changing needs. Few people relish the prospect of doing household chores after a long day, so who wouldn’t want a “robotic” vacuum cleaner doing that job while you are at work, which can be controlled and monitored via an app on your smartphone? The compact Dyson 360 Eye, created by British inventor James Dyson’s eponymous company, does its job thanks to a top-mounted,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2123821/how-hi-tech-appliances-meet-demands-fast-paced-urbanites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2123821/how-hi-tech-appliances-meet-demands-fast-paced-urbanites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2017 04:00:45 +0000 With Christmas on the horizon, book publishers and authors are busy promoting their latest titles. Yet choosing books ­– particularly children’s picture books, where fine illustrations may hide a dull story ­– often requires a bit of time and effort. So in keeping with the 12-days-of-Christmas theme, we have selected a dozen children’s books from the past year to help you find something suitable to stuff into a youngster’s stocking. Five and under First Day at Skeleton School, by Sam Lloyd,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2122141/12-best-childrens-books-give-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2122141/12-best-childrens-books-give-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2017 05:30:00 +0000 Christmas is a time for giving gifts to family and friends. Here are some of Hong Kong’s best offerings. CONRAD HONG KONG has two hampers with Christmas cookies and stollen: Conrad Deluxe Basket (HK$1,988) also has Conrad chocolate praline gift box, Christmas papinee toy, white truffle-flavour gold mustard, organic honey tangerine, spices and French red wine; Conrad Inspired Basket (HK$2,888) includes black truffle-flavoured olive oil, Martelli pasta, Garden Café Terrace mulled wine spices,... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/christmas-magazine/article/2121708/christmas-hampers-we-find-six-best-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/christmas-magazine/article/2121708/christmas-hampers-we-find-six-best-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2017 16:18:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s Gweilo Beer, which was set up 2½ years ago in a spare bedroom, will open a new US$5 million craft beer brewery – Hong Kong’s largest – next summer to cater to rising demand for the company’s brews. The brewery, a hi-tech 14,000 sq ft facility in Fo Tan, is currently under construction. Where the word gweilo comes from, and other names East Asians have for foreigners Gweilo, founded by Ian and Emily Jebbitt, and their friend Joe Gould, currently contracts out production of its three... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2113382/gweilo-beer-open-hong-kongs-biggest-craft-brewery-keep-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2113382/gweilo-beer-open-hong-kongs-biggest-craft-brewery-keep-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2017 04:45:30 +0000 In no small part thanks to the rising popularity of television, Hong Kong suddenly found itself a popular location for Hollywood films in the 1950s and ’60s, including, notably, the adaptation of Richard Mason’s 1957 bestselling novel The World of Suzie Wong. Leading Hollywood actors such as William Holden, Orson Welles, Clark Gable and Steve McQueen all filmed in the city as part of efforts by the major US studios to halt the steady decline in American cinema attendances. Suzie Wong: 60 years... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2104954/hollywood-hong-kong-five-east-meets-west-films-time-when-studios?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2104954/hollywood-hong-kong-five-east-meets-west-films-time-when-studios?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2017 22:45:30 +0000 Actor William Shatner has a unique place in the history of the romantic novel The World of Suzie Wong, which was published 60 years ago this year. The Canadian, known for starring as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television series, was the first man in the world to “woo” Suzie Wong in the original stage version. Shatner, 27 when he was cast as budding young artist Robert Lomax, won the heart of the Hong Kong prostitute, played by Vietnamese-French actress France Nuyen, in 508 Broadway... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2102113/actor-william-shatner-why-world-suzie-wong-was-tough-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2102113/actor-william-shatner-why-world-suzie-wong-was-tough-act?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2017 04:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong would be hard-pressed to find a character that conjures up a single image of the city quite like Wan Chai bar girl Suzie Wong since she appeared in print in 1957. The heroine of Richard Mason’s bestselling novel, The World of Suzie Wong, captured the world’s imagination at a time when sex, prostitution and interracial relationships were still taboo subjects. Mason’s straightforward storytelling ensures the romance of budding English artist Robert Lomax and Wong never becomes cheap or... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2101048/how-suzie-wong-wooed-worlds-book-critics-1957?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2101048/how-suzie-wong-wooed-worlds-book-critics-1957?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jul 2017 04:33:15 +0000 This year marks 60 years since the publication of British author Richard Mason’s classic Hong Kong love story, The World of Suzie Wong. The tender romance between Robert Lomax, a young aspiring English artist, and Suzie Wong, a beautiful Chinese prostitute, struck a chord with the public and became a bestseller. Its appearance in an age of innocence when sex, prostitution and interracial relationships were taboo subjects proved a revelation. Mason’s assured writing – never letting the subject... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2101012/suzie-wong-60-years-after-hong-kong-icon-was-created-we-recount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2101012/suzie-wong-60-years-after-hong-kong-icon-was-created-we-recount?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jul 2017 04:33:15 +0000 Photographer Keith Macgregor has been focusing his camera on Hong Kong’s rapidly changing places and faces for the past 47 years – and shows no sign of slowing down. Over the years his popular Cameraman calendars, showing stunning views of Hong Kong, have been displayed on countless homes and offices around the world, while hundreds of thousands of his postcards have been posted abroad. British soldier’s unseen photos of Hong Kong 60 years ago revealed ... but can you tell where they were all... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2050161/47-years-hong-kongs-changing-places-and-faces-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2050161/47-years-hong-kongs-changing-places-and-faces-through?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2016 02:05:46 +0000 Many of Hong Kong’s fine old colonial buildings disappeared forever in the 1970s and 80s as developers, keen to build much taller constructions in their place, began bulldozing their way across large parts of the city, including Wan Chai and Central. Ho Fan, celebrated 1950s Hong Kong street photographer, dies in California What has been lost, and what was built to replace it, is highlighted in a new book, Hong Kong Then and Now, which contains more than 160 rare and previously unpublished... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987094/bulldozers-look-back-hong-kongs-long-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987094/bulldozers-look-back-hong-kongs-long-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jul 2016 08:15:15 +0000 Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo Harvill Secker Midnight Sun, the second of two novellas by Norwegian thriller writer Jo Nesbo to be published in English this year, is very much like the first – about a hit man on the run after crossing his boss – but that is no bad thing. You pretty much know what you are going to get with Nesbo. Blood, death, a likeable non-conformist hero, and more blood. Today the prolific Nesbo is very much the king of Nordic murder mysteries, and seems to hit the target at will -... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1877042/book-review-jo-nesbo-hits-target-will-new-novella-midnight-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1877042/book-review-jo-nesbo-hits-target-will-new-novella-midnight-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:30 +0000 British crime writer John Burdett's half-Thai, half-American Buddhist detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, who first appeared in 2003, is back in the sixth novel of the bestselling series, The Bangkok Asset, to be published on August 4. "I think the latest book is the best thing I have ever written," he says. The series, set largely in Bangkok's seedy red-light district, delves into the philosophical musings of the detective as he battles his personal demons while investigating often gruesome... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1843352/interview-john-burdett-his-new-crime-novel-bangkok-asset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1843352/interview-john-burdett-his-new-crime-novel-bangkok-asset?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2015 15:22:17 +0000 Hunters in the Dark by Lawrence Osborne Hogarth Lawrence Osborne's slow-burn mystery, Hunters in the Dark, follows British innocent-abroad Robert Grieve as his ordered, unremarkable life is transformed during an aimless summer holiday when he crosses the Thai border into Cambodia. Fortune seems to favour the small-town schoolteacher after he heads to a seedy casino and can't stop winning. He returns to his hotel US$2,000 richer, yet is overwhelmed by a sense of restlessness. "He was beginning... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1797903/book-review-hunters-dark-lawrence-osborne-end-innocence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1797903/book-review-hunters-dark-lawrence-osborne-end-innocence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2015 15:10:53 +0000 Whispering Shadows by Jan-Philipp Sendker 37 Ink/Atria Books It has taken eight years for Jan-Philipp Sendker's terrific German-language romantic crime thriller, Whispering Shadows, set in Hong Kong and on the mainland, to appear in English. It has been worth the wait. Sendker, born in 1960, is the former American and Asian correspondent for Stern, the weekly German news magazine. He has published two other novels, the bestselling The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, and its sequel, A Well-Tempered... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1768437/book-review-whispering-shadows-jan-philipp-sendker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1768437/book-review-whispering-shadows-jan-philipp-sendker?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2015 14:39:04 +0000 Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo Harvill Secker American actor Leonardo DiCaprio was apparently so taken with Jo Nesbo's latest story set in Norway, Blood on Snow, that Warner Bros snapped up the film rights for him. It's not difficult to see why. This punchy, cut-to-the-chase novella introduces the sympathetic anti-hero Olav, a hitman with a heart, just as he is adding more blood to snow, having shot his latest victim in the chest and throat. "The man standing in front of me would soon be dead … It... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1763081/book-review-blood-snow-jo-nesbo-love-murder-and-mayhem-norway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1763081/book-review-blood-snow-jo-nesbo-love-murder-and-mayhem-norway?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2015 10:51:46 +0000 So how did you score? In our film quiz to mark the 87th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, which takes place on Monday morning (Hong Kong time), there were a total of 129 points at stake from the 87 different questions that tested your Oscars knowledge. The scores... Sure-fire Oscar winner: 110 or more Nail-bitingly close to a win: 95-109 Strong hopes of a nomination: 80-94 Solid performer: 70-79 Bit parts only: 60-69 Mostly “resting” for you: 36-59 Failed your screen test: 21-35 Not even a screen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1719841/so-were-you-winner-or-loser-all-answers-our-oscars-2015-quiz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1719841/so-were-you-winner-or-loser-all-answers-our-oscars-2015-quiz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:15:45 +0000 It's Oscars time again, and ahead of the 87th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris on Monday morning (Hong Kong time) we present 87 questions to test your Oscars knowledge – one for each year of its history.  Subjects include this year’s nominees, both past and present movie stars and famous quotes from films. With a total of 129 points at stake, will you win a gong, or end up empty handed? The scores... Sure-fire Oscar winner: 110 or more Nail-bitingly close to a win:... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1719601/oscars-2015-quiz-will-you-be-winner-or-loser-when-it-comes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1719601/oscars-2015-quiz-will-you-be-winner-or-loser-when-it-comes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:15:15 +0000 The Devil You Know by Peter Gregoire Proverse Hong Kong Many self-published books are indulgent efforts that perhaps only the writer's mother would enjoy reading. But not this one. Hong Kong resident Peter Gregoire's self-deprecating Eurasian hero, lawyer Scott Lee, made his debut in the well-received 2012 conspiracy thriller Article 109 - set both here and on the mainland - as he investigated a friend's death. Now he's back in another Hong Kong novel, The Devil You Know, on the trail of a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1695573/book-review-devil-you-know-hong-kong-set-thriller-cranks-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1695573/book-review-devil-you-know-hong-kong-set-thriller-cranks-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2015 15:47:26 +0000 A collection of rare colour photographs taken of Hong Kong in 1954 have come to light - but can you identify where in the city they were taken? While some areas are obvious, like The Peak and the Clock Tower, others are barely recognisable, with streets and neighbourhoods that look worlds apart from today's bustling megacity jam-packed with skyscrapers. The images include street scenes taken in Queen’s Road Central and Pottinger Street, in Central, with its narrow stone steps heading up the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1675012/british-soldiers-unseen-photos-hong-kong-60-years-ago-revealed-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1675012/british-soldiers-unseen-photos-hong-kong-60-years-ago-revealed-can?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2015 02:45:30 +0000 The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith Pantheon Prolific author Alexander McCall Smith's African female sleuth, Precious Ramotswe, returns in the 15th instalment of the hugely popular No1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels. Just like the other episodic, languidly paced stories, The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café mixes McCall Smith's gentle humour with wry observations about the characters, customs and culture found today in Botswana's dusty capital,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1634173/book-review-handsome-mans-de-luxe-cafe-alexander-mccall-smith?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1634173/book-review-handsome-mans-de-luxe-cafe-alexander-mccall-smith?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2014 15:11:40 +0000 Black Holes by He Jiahong Penguin He Jiahong, a law professor at Beijing's Renmin University of China, used his real-life experiences while studying for his doctorate at Northwestern University, in the United States, as inspiration for the hero of his detective novels. Handsome, US-educated, mainland lawyer Hong Jun made his debut in last year's well received Hanging Devils, focusing on the real-life rape and murder of a young woman. In Black Holes, set in 1995, he agrees to defend Xia Zhe,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1628965/book-review-black-holes-he-jiahong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1628965/book-review-black-holes-he-jiahong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2014 15:11:26 +0000 Personal  by Lee Child Bantam Press  3 stars British-born author Lee Child and his big, brawny hero Jack Reacher - a former US military policeman turned wanderer who metes out brutal justice to bad guys wherever he travels - both seem to have lost their way. Again. The success of the past 18 fast-paced novels in the series has seen Reacher become a global "brand" - and also a successful film character portrayed by superstar Tom Cruise. All of the books featuring the 1.96-metre-tall avenger -... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1596038/book-review-personal-lee-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1596038/book-review-personal-lee-child?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2014 03:07:03 +0000 An Event in Autumn  by Henning Mankell Harvill Secker  3.5 stars This really is the end. After 10 novels, a collection of short stories and, finally, this novella, An Event in Autumn, all of Swedish author Henning Mankell's stories featuring the increasingly careworn detective Kurt Wallander have now been published in English. There will be no more tales about Wallander - a series Mankell has often described as his "novels of Swedish unrest". At the end of the last full novel - the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1590952/last-word-kurt-wallander?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1590952/last-word-kurt-wallander?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2014 04:30:00 +0000 H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald Jonathan Cape Death runs like a tangled thread throughout the pages of Helen Macdonald's gripping new book, H is for Hawk, which blends her brutally honest, sometimes tortured account of dealing with grief and - in a deliberate decision to take on a challenge - her fascinating struggles to tame one of nature's most revered killers: a goshawk. She also cleverly weaves into the narrative a biography of tortured English novelist T.H. White, whose book The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1574182/natural-born-killer-brings-grieving-author-back-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1574182/natural-born-killer-brings-grieving-author-back-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2014 00:02:08 +0000 The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith Sphere 5 stars Guy Haydon Last summer's publication of the hugely enjoyable murder mystery The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith initially brought fine reviews, but only modest sales. However, there was one surprise whodunit connected to the book not even the publishers had expected. After a British newspaper revealed "former serviceman" Galbraith's true identity was J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter fantasy novels, sales of the book rocketed.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1541657/jk-rowlings-second-outing-robert-galbraith-scores-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1541657/jk-rowlings-second-outing-robert-galbraith-scores-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2014 04:18:34 +0000 In the City of Dragons by Mike Smith Windsor 3 stars Guy Haydon Mike Smith says his second self-published book of Hong Kong stories is named not after the city's fabled dragons, but his real-life characters - people "that are, to various degrees flamboyant, capricious, selfish, ambitious and aggressive". It is no surprise then that it is hard to warm to some protagonists featured in his 16 eclectic, simply written tales. Yet lovers of stories about the city's past, including its days as a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1536788/book-review-city-dragons-mike-smith?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1536788/book-review-city-dragons-mike-smith?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2014 04:17:59 +0000 Why Soccer Matters by Pelé Celebra 3.5 stars  Guy Haydon Pelé was the first - and remains the pre-eminent - global soccer superstar. The Brazilian, known simply by his nickname, is still revered as the best ever player of "the beautiful game" - despite the undoubted talents of stars such as Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and today's icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Pelé's continued reputation, at age 73, is even more remarkable because his 20-year career ended in 1977. He won an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1531583/book-review-why-soccer-matters-pele?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1531583/book-review-why-soccer-matters-pele?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2014 03:45:45 +0000 The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker Penguin 4 stars Guy Haydon Swiss lawyer Joël Dicker's clever, multi-layered French-language murder-mystery attracted frenzied bidding at the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair as publishers bought the rights in 32 countries. The novel won three French literary prizes and topped the bestseller lists in France, Italy and Spain. The many rave reviews could easily fill this space. Now, finally, the English translation is published. Dicker starts... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1526576/book-review-truth-about-harry-quebert-affair-joel-dicker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1526576/book-review-truth-about-harry-quebert-affair-joel-dicker?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2014 07:52:04 +0000 The Son by Jo Nesbo Harvill Secker 5 stars Guy Haydon The brutally battered looks of self-destructive detective Harry Hole - complete with a bullet-wound scar to his head - show that his creator, Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbo, could have easily killed him off many times in the course of the 10 violent, bestselling thrillers in which he has appeared. But after being translated into 40 languages and sales of more than 20 million books around the world, he has always resisted. Nesbo took a brief... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1502521/nesbos-new-revenge-thriller-plugs-gap-left-harry-hole?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1502521/nesbos-new-revenge-thriller-plugs-gap-left-harry-hole?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2014 05:55:44 +0000 Inspector Singh Investigates: A Calamitous Chinese Killing by Shamini Flint Piatkus 4 stars Guy Haydon The portly, hen-pecked, cold beer and hot curry-loving Inspector Singh makes an unlikely hero - on the surface, at least - in Shamini Flint's entertaining series of six detective novels. The short Sikh sleuth in his turban stands out from the usual crime-solving suspects: the food-loving, 50-something maverick Singaporean policeman, who wears white sports shoes on the job because "I run... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1464702/singapores-food-loving-cop-cracks-case-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1464702/singapores-food-loving-cop-cracks-case-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Apr 2014 04:40:43 +0000 Walking Home From Mongolia by Rob Lilwall Hodder & Stoughton 2.5 stars Guy Haydon Rob Lilwall, a former geography teacher-turned-adventurer living on Lantau Island, has just published a second travel book, Walking Home From Mongolia. The Briton's 5,600km, six-month trek on foot with Northern Irish cameraman Leon McCarron in November 2011 took them from Mongolia's Gobi Desert town of Sainshand to Lilwall's Mui Wo home; it came seven years after his first journey, a 50,000km solo cycle ride... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1432585/book-review-walking-home-mongolia-rob-lilwall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1432585/book-review-walking-home-mongolia-rob-lilwall?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2014 07:45:15 +0000 No City for Slow Men by Jason Ng Blacksmith Books Guy Haydon Hong Kong lawyer and blogger Jason Y. Ng is back with a new book of insights after casting his perceptive gaze over the good, bad and ugly side of city life. After 2010's Hong Kong State of Mind, Ng says that in those three years the city has had a new chief executive and seen property prices nearly double. "Poverty, a housing shortage and racial disharmony have polarised … society. Distrust of government and big business has surged... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1402282/book-review-no-city-slow-men-jason-ng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1402282/book-review-no-city-slow-men-jason-ng?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2014 08:05:15 +0000 The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen Dutton 5 stars Guy Haydon It is only fitting that English-language readers should have to play catch-up with Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen's outstanding thrillers featuring detective Carl Morck, who must play catch-up with the culprits of long-forgotten crimes. Adler-Olsen's masterful storytelling keeps the readers waiting, too, as his teasing, multi-layered plots ever so slowly converge while the reckless, yet fearless, Morck struggles to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1396717/book-review-purity-vengeance-jussi-adler-olsen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1396717/book-review-purity-vengeance-jussi-adler-olsen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:15:15 +0000