After the successful attendance at The London Book Fair, ReadersMagnet is heading to Asia this time before attending the Frankfurt Book Fair, the biggest book fair in the world. We believe that it’s now high time for American indie authors to establish a name in Asia’s World City: Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Book Fair (HKBF) is more than prepared to welcome almost a million visitors again this July 19 to 25, 2023. Starting in 1990, the book fair has had a growing number of attendees yearly. In 2018 alone, the organizers recorded nearly 1.04 million attendees in its 29th installment. And last year, about 850,000 gathered at the annual territory-wide major reading and cultural event in Hong Kong. What does the figure mean for you as an American author? Continue reading to learn more.
A Place Where the East Meets the West
Colonized by Britain in the early 1840s, Hong Kong (laying down in a Chinese territory) became a place where Eastern culture meets Western culture. When we’re talking about the East, we’re not just referring to Hong Kong and China. We’re referring to multicultural Easterners from various origins. We’re not just talking about Britain as well when we say Western culture. From food to lifestyles, Hong Kong turned out to be a mix of various Asian and Western influences.
Instead of just having our British kindred on the island, it would be better as well to establish an American name and literary brilliance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR). Whether through novels or children’s books, your literary work can provide a positive impact.
The Hub of Asia’s Largest Annual Book Fair
Of the more than 40 book events in the region, the Hong Kong Book Fair is considered Asia’s largest annual book fair. With the theme “Reading the World: Stories of Hong Kong,” the event was joined by 700 exhibitors among its 850K attendance last year. Unlike the book fairs here in the U.S., HKBF allows selling books instead of just displaying them, which is a big advantage for self-published authors.
Among the roster of support organizations they have, the book fair is backed by the Association of Christian Publishers and the Educational Booksellers Association. Aside from the book fair, they also have the Sports and Leisure Expo, World of Snacks, Education & Careers Expo, and more. All were held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A Territory-Wide Reading and Cultural Event
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the organizer of the book fair, envisions developing and expanding new frontiers by exploring, learning, and innovating. As such, “Reading the World” becomes the common theme at the Hong Kong Book Fair. Indeed, having almost a million fairgoers with mixed cultures in a single place, together with their literary creations, is like reading the world.
Besides the mixed cultural setting, the event could also help in bridging language barriers. Knowing that Mandarin has a wide audience, you can use HKBF as a gateway to the Chinese language publication market. This is due to the fact that the place is one of the major printing and publishing centers in the world.
Stay updated for more information about what you can expect from the Hong Kong Book Fair, especially about selling your books at the event. We at ReadersMagnet, a finalist of the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics 2022, are excited to bring you and your literary masterpiece to the heart of the book fair in Asia. Contact us at info@readersmagnet.com and 1-800-805-0762 today!
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