HONG KONG, July 18 — The 28th edition of the Hong Kong Book Fair will host over 650 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions. Taking place July 19 to 25 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the fair will put the spotlight on the continued life of French classic Le Petit Prince and the city’s own history of film noir.
Five event highlights will include:
– The International Cultural Village will showcase local books exported and presented from 28 countries. The array of cultures spans representation from Colombia, Nepal, Pakistan, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates — as well as a European Union Pavilion, with showcases from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.
– French literary classic Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) will be a point of focus. Comic book author Cédric Fernandez (Saint-Exupéry: Le Seigneur des sables and Saint Exupéry: Le Royaume des étoiles) echoes the passion the original author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, had for aviation both in his work and in real life. Further, a Hong Kong publisher recently released a Cantonese version of Le Petit Prince, visually brought to life through a reinterpretation by local illustrators Michelle Chan and Aria Lui. All three illustrators will share their thoughts on Le Petit Prince in a Book Fair session, revealing different perspectives on recreating the art and narrative.
– Born in the Republic of Congo, Alain Mabanckou is a leading French-language writer, translated into over a dozen languages. He has written novels, essays, and poetry collections. Mabanckou’s Afro-French background figures prominently in his assorted writings. His latest work, Black Moses, published this year, recounts the life of a Congolese orphan in the 1970s, and examines the country’s deep-seated social troubles. Mabanckou will address a Book Fair seminar.
– Hong Kong-produced films will be interpreted from a French perspective by way of critic Arnaud Lanuque, who co-wrote the book Les Actrices Chinoises about Asian thespians. Lanuque’s latest publication, Police vs Syndicats du Crime, investigates Hong Kong cinema classics, complemented with interviews of more than 40 industry players. At a Book Fair seminar, Lanuque will discuss the regional cinema with Hong Kong film critic Sam Ho.
– Examining the origins and evolution of international economics, the book The Silver Way: China, Spanish American and the Birth of Globalisation, 1565-1815 delves into how trade between China and Latin America has flourished for centuries; moreover, it offers insights into the current worldwide economic landscape. A Book Fair session will feature the book’s authors, Peter Gordon and Juan José Morales, in discussion. — AFP-Relaxnews
