While the national security law (NSL) shrivelled the Hong Kong Book Fair, its spirit was carried on in Toronto, when the first Hongkongers Book Fair took place in early July.
The Hong Kong Book Fair, held in July every year, used to be one of the largest of its kind in Asia. Since the NSL was imposed, many local publishing companies were barred from joining the fair. With the indiscriminate “red lines” freedom of speech was in danger, which forced authors and book reviewers to move overseas. They ran forums and book fairs as a voice out for freedom.
Fiona Wong (left), and Edward Chin (right), founders of the World Hong Kong Forum and Hongkongers Book Fair, in Toronto, Canada. (Courtesy of Fiona Wong)
The Hongkongers Book Fair cum Art Creations Marketplace was held on July 3 and 4 in Toronto. It hoped to extend Hong Kong culture to carry on the “blooming far and wide” strategy of the 2019 anti-extradition movement. Event organizer Edward Chin shared with The Epoch Times that he believed this would be the approach for scattered Hongkongers all over the world to inherit cultural heritage. “It’s our mission to carry on the heritage of traditional Chinese characters and the Cantonese dialect.”…