HK Book Fair 2019: Focus is on SF

Snitchcat

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This year's Hong Kong Book Fair focuses on science fiction: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...hong-kong-book-fair-put-emphasis-local-sci-fi

Benjamin Chau, the Trade Development Council's (TDC) deputy executive director said that "We [TDC] hope this theme will bring up interest for readers to explore sci-fi and get to know sci-fi writers".

Famous HK SF writers include Eddy Lee Wai-choi, Ni Kuang, Huang Yi, and Lee Man-kin. Huang Yi is the more famous of these writers (he wrote "A Step in Time", which was adapted into a time travel, period drama for TVB).

If you read the article through, please ignore Eddy Lee's claim that "sci-fi novels [are] more challenging to create than books in other genres like romance". It's obvious the guy has never tried to write romance, IMO! (And probably has made erroneous assumptions about genres outside of SF -- my conjecture.)

However, Lee's focus -- albeit narrow -- is in the right place: "Exposure to sci-fi could help develop logic and creativity, especially in younger readers."

The 2018 HK Book Fair drew approximately 1.04 million visitors last year with around 600 exhibitors; 2019 will feature 686 exhibitors. However, this exhibition is overshadowed by the Anti-Extradition Bill protests.

If you're in the area next month, regardless of what happens, this is a book fair worth going to -- just to see the crowds, if you like. But I certainly will be going -- it's SF after all.