第二十五屆香港書展

第二十五屆香港書展 逾三百場文化活動讓書迷參與 超過一百零一萬人參觀刷新紀錄
Book Fair Opens with Record Number of Exhibitors
Show’s 25th Edition Features More Than 300 Cultural Events

由香港貿易發展局(香港貿發局)舉辦的第二十五屆香港書展，由二零一四年七月十六日至七月二十二日假灣仔香港會議展覽中心隆重舉行。今年書展以「從香港閱讀世界 - 越讀越精彩 」為題，吸引到來三十一個國家及地區，共五百七十家參展商參與，是歷屆之冠。為提倡閱讀風氣及推廣文化，大會在七日展期內，安排了超過三百場的文化活動，包括講座、讀書會、展覽等，題目涵蓋文學、歷史、經濟、生活消閒、心靈勵志、英語閱讀等多個範疇，滿足廣大讀者的不同興趣和需要。

政務司司長林鄭月娥親臨書展現場，並由香港貿發局主席蘇澤光及總裁林天福 陪同參觀書展「文藝廊」，以及主持書展開幕儀式，見證首批書迷進場。香港貿發局總裁林天福致辭時表示︰「書展在這二十五年間，在各種挑戰中茁壯成長，並隨著時代趨勢加入不同的新元素。我們致力將書展打造成一個推動閱讀風氣的平台。為此，我們聯合一眾本地出版界、文化界及其他界別的單位，邀請來自兩岸三地及國際的文化精英，匯聚香港書展交流切磋，並與讀者進行互動。希望大家繼續支持香港書展，繼續讓讀者們從香港閱讀世界，越讀越精彩。」

香港特別行政區政務司司長林鄭月娥(前排右)主持書展開幕儀式，見證首批書迷進場。

文藝廊展開四段文化旅程

設於會展三樓長廊及大禮堂前廳的「文藝廊」，今年呈獻四個不同主題的展覽︰年度作家董啟章專區以「在世界中寫作，為世界而寫」為題，展示董啟章 的創作歷程及相關插畫和劇場道具；商務印書館（香港）有限公司及大眾控股有限公司全力支持的「書香人情　香港書業世紀回眸」展覽除了展示珍貴的香港舊式書刊和不同時期的印刷技術外，更會有一家參照一百年前首間商務印書館香港分館而建的彷古書店，活現大家眼前；「中華文化漫步 – 福建行」除了會介紹冰心和林語堂等福建名作家，以及展示福建獨有藝術珍品外，更會於小舞台安排多場福建木偶劇和歌仔戲，讓參觀者以不同方式感受福建深厚的文化；「 港島文學漫步」則會帶大家透過閱讀二十五位名家的文字，再配合照片及錄像，以文人的角度了解我們的城市發展和變遷。

香港貿發局總裁林天福表示︰「書展在這二十五年間，在各種挑戰中茁壯成長，致力將書展打造成一個推動閱讀風氣的平台。希望大家繼續支持香港書展，繼續讓讀者們從香港閱讀世界，越讀越精彩。」

香港特別行政區政務司司長林鄭月娥(右四)今早親臨書展現場，並由香港貿發局主席蘇澤光(左四)及總裁林天福(右二)陪同參觀書展「文藝廊」的「書香人情　香港書業世紀回眸」展覽。

逾一百零一萬人參觀第二十五屆香港書展刷新紀錄

為期一周的香港書展，雖然面對連日來不穩定的天氣，但仍然吸引逾一百零一萬人次進場，乃歷年之冠。

香港貿發局委託獨立調查公司嘉柏市場策略研究於七月十六至十九日期間，於書展現場抽樣面訪了超過八百位參觀者。調查指書展人均購書額為九百八十七港元，較去年的調查大幅上升25%。

今年參觀者消費意欲比去年理想，16%受訪者表示，預算增加在書展消費，平均增幅達49%，77%受訪者的預算消費則與去年相若。根據調查，最受書迷歡迎的書種依次為小說(58%)、文學(32%)、旅遊(29%)、漫畫(20%)及兒童讀物(18%)。其中，購買文學叢書的參觀者比率，較去年顯著增長五個百分點。

電子書店發展無損傳統書店及書展地位

調查發現，通過電子書店購買印刷書籍的比率，按年顯著上升八個百分點至25%，但仍然有95%的受訪者表示，會在書店買書。於書展買書的受訪者則有74%，按年上升一個百分點，顯示電子書店的崛起，並沒有打擊到傳統書店及書展的發展。

參觀書展 成旅客來港主要原因

調查顯示，今年非香港市民佔整體入場人數約12%。按此推算，約有十二萬參觀者來自香港以外的國家及地區。除了兩岸四地的讀者外，亦有來自美國、新加坡、英國及韓國等地的參觀者。來自香港以外的參觀者中，51%表示到訪書展是來港旅遊的主要目的。而超過一半(55%)的非本地受訪者亦指出，到訪書展主要目的是「購買我居住地區並無出版的書籍」。

名家講座　座無虛設

大會今年繼續邀請多位兩岸三地，以至英、美、法、日的作家，親臨香港書展開講，與書迷作近距離的接觸和交流。當中，來自台灣的李敖父子和電影《金陵十三釵》原著作者、來自內地的嚴歌苓，都吸引近千人出席講座，反應熱烈。書展部分講座錄影已足本上載至書展網站 www.hkbookfair.com/videos ，讓書迷重溫精彩片段。

近年都市人越來越重視生活品味及飲食養生，今屆書展便新增由海港城全力支持的「寫意生活講座系列」及由中信銀行(國際)有限公司全力支持的「心靈勵志講座系列 」，共舉行超過二十場講座。當中包括韓國通宣柏健和張厚耀分享韓國旅遊文化，養生專家嚴浩分享養生秘方，以及失去雙臂的傷健運動員及展能藝術家楊小芳分享勵志故事。

熱門網絡作家現身書展

近年網絡小說大受歡迎，部分受到網民熱捧的網絡作品更被出版成實體書，甚至被改拍成為電影。今年大會與香港小說會合作舉辦「香港網絡作家巡禮」，展現本港新興的獨特文化。網絡作家張晨("鳥"不起)及百無禁忌更親臨書展現場，與香港小說會發起人施仁毅進行對談，分享創作心得。施仁毅對本港網絡小說未來發展抱有極大信心，「香港近年面對一個問題，就是缺乏創作人，網絡作家正正就是新一代的創作人，網絡空間現正醞釀一批又一批創作人，他們的潛力正是本港創意產業需要的養份。」他們均希望，透過網絡小說將以往較少看書的人帶到閱讀世界。

資助基層兒童參觀書展

另外，「新地2014齊讀好書」計劃共贊助了來自三十五間中小學近一千二百名基層學生參與香港書展及相關文化活動，每人更獲新鴻基地產及攜手扶弱基金贊助二百五十元購買喜愛讀物。據觀察所得，學生多購買偵探小說及科學讀物等。獲聖雅各福群會邀請首次參與書展的成同學表示：「我本身非常喜歡閱讀，平日也常到學校圖書館借閱課外書，但少有機會擁有自己喜歡的書籍。今次得到贊助，令我可以在書海中尋找自己的心頭好，我更藉此機會買了幾本烹飪書送給媽媽，讓她做些新菜式給我們一家人吃。」

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Book Fair Opens with Record Number of Exhibitors
Show’s 25th Edition Features More Than 300 Cultural Events

The 25th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair opened on 16th July, 2014, welcoming some 570 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions, a new exhibitor record. The fair, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), continues through 22 July. More than 300 cultural events are taking place over the next seven days.

Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Chief Secretary for Administration, opened the fair that morning together with Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Executive Director Fred Lam.

Hong Kong Story
Art Gallery highlights include “A Journey to Fujian,” examining the work of Lin Yutang and Bing Xin, along with Shoushan stone carvings and Dehua porcelain. “The Hong Kong Story: A Century of Books,” features the evolution of the local publishing industry, including a traditional Hong Kong book store. The Art Gallery also includes an exhibition on Dung Kai Cheung, the fair’s “Author of the Year.” Three seminars focus on Mr. Dung and his work over the years.

Children’s Paradise
Fair pavilions include English Avenue, Teens’ World, e-Books and e-Learning Resources, and Children’s Paradise, offering “Storytelling by Celebrities.” The International Cultural Village feature half a dozen exhibitors from Japan, in the fair’s first Japan Pavilion. In all, more than 20 countries and regions are showcasing their literature at the cultural village, including first-time exhibitors Colombia, Israel, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.

Cultural July
Cultural July is taking place alongside the Book Fair. The festival began 23 June and continues through the end of July. It includes more than 180 events, ranging from seminars and author sessions to cultural tours and other activities at book stores, shopping malls, educational institutions, coffee shops and other venues throughout Hong Kong.

Record 1 Million+ Attend the 25th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair
Spending up 25%; Fiction, Literature, Travel Books Best Sellers

The 25th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair concluded on July 2014 by writing a new page in the history of the event which, for the first time, welcomed more than one million visitors. The week-long signature event, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), was unfazed by the impact of a passing storm, attracting more than 1.01 million visitors, an all-time attendance record.

The Book Fair ran from 16-22 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Events staged during the period of the Hong Kong Book Fair included seminars, readings, book clubs and new book parades with some 300 speakers taking part. As an extension of the Book Fair, the on-going month-long “Cultural July” festival features a total of more than 500 cultural events across Hong Kong which have so far attracted 250,000 attendees.

During the Book Fair, the HKTDC commissioned independent consultancy firm CAP Strategic Research to conduct an on-site survey from 16-19 July. The survey interviewed 805 fair visitors and found that per capita spending at this year’s Book Fair was HK$987, up 25 per cent over the previous year.

93 Per Cent of Visitors Planned to Increase or Maintain Their Spending

The survey also found that visitors were more willing to spend on books this year, with 16 per cent of respondents saying they had planned to spend more than they did last year, with an average budget increase of 49 per cent year-on-year. About three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents said they expected to spend the same this year compared to last year. In terms of genre, fiction (58 per cent) topped the popularity list, followed by literature (32 per cent) – a significant increase of 5 per cent compared to last year –, travel (29 per cent), comics (20 per cent) and children’s books (18 per cent).

Online Bookstores Did Not Affect Sales of Traditional Bookstores
The survey also found that about 25 per cent of respondents had ordered books through online bookstores during the past year, while 95 per cent bought books from traditional book stores and 74 per cent made purchases at the Book Fair. This suggests that the rise in popularity of online bookstores does not necessarily affect the sales of traditional bookstores.

Book Fair the Main Purpose for Visiting Hong Kong
The survey found that non-Hong Kong residents made up approximately 12 per cent of the total attendance of this year’s Book Fair. Based on this figure, it is estimated that some 120,000 visitors were from outside Hong Kong. Apart from the Chinese mainland, Macau and Taiwan, there were also readers from the US, Singapore, the UK and Korea, among other places. Over 50 per cent of these non-Hong Kong visitors said the main purpose of their trip was to attend the Book Fair. More than half of them (55 per cent) also said “buying books unavailable in my region” was a main reason for their visit.

Packed Houses at Seminars by Celebrated Guests
The HKTDC once again invited many authors from the Chinese mainland and overseas including from France, Japan, Taiwan, the UK and the US to speak at the Book Fair and interact with the local readers. Renowned commentators and authors from Taiwan, Li Ao and his son Li Kan, and Geling Yan, author of The Flowers of War from the Chinese mainland, all spoke at packed seminars. The recordings of some of the seminars are uploaded in full: www.hkbookfair.com/videos.

Taken together, the new Lifestyle Seminar Series supported by Habour City, and the Personal Development and Spiritual Growth Seminar Series supported by China CITIC Bank International Limited, presented about 20 seminars during the fair period. They featured, among others, Patrick Suen, Sue Chang, Yim Ho and Cherie Yeung.

Popular Online Authors on Show at the Fair
Online novels are the current trend, and some of the most popular works have even been published in hard copy or turned into films. Co-organised with the Hong Kong Novel Association, “Introduction of Hong Kong Online Writers” promoted this fast-emerging style of literature. Two of the most popular online authors attended a seminar with Mr. Sze Yan Ngai, the convenor of the Hong Kong Novel Association. Mr. Sze spoke of his confidence about developing local online writing talent, saying “at the moment Hong Kong lacks people with creativity, while Cyberspace would be a good platform for the new generation to develop their creativity.” They hope that online novels will introduce more people to different forms of literature and encourage them to read more.

Underprivileged Children Enjoy the Occasion
The SHKP Read To Dream 2014 programme sponsored nearly 1,200 underprivileged children from 35 schools to visit the Book Fair and participate in cultural events. Each child received HK$250, funded by SHKP and Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, to purchase books. The students were particularly keen to buy detective stories and science books. One student visiting the Book Fair for the first time said, “I love reading in the library very much, but seldom own a favourite book of my own. The sponsorship enabled me to buy books that I love, and I have also bought some recipe books for my mom, so she can learn some new dishes to enjoy with the family. “

Cultural July – Reading on
While the Book Fair has reached its conclusion, the “Cultural July” festival continues in Hong Kong until the end of this month. Activities include story sharing, parent-child workshops, art fairs, sharing sessions and exhibitions. “We hope the public’s love of reading can be sustained beyond July and become ingrained into their daily life. ‘Cultural July’ provides an excellent platform for all to experience different cultures and, through reading, deepen their understanding of the world,” Mr. Chau said.