The 2025 Hong Kong Book Fair is set to take place from July 16 to 22. Reports indicate that at least three publishing houses have been rejected from participating by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, with two of them being “Boundaries Bookstore” and “Blue Sky’s Day”. Both of these publishers were asked to take down “sensitive” books during last year’s fair, leading to their exclusion from this year’s event. The heads of these companies expressed disappointment at the Council’s decision, criticizing the Book Fair for increasingly shutting out independent voices.
“Boundaries Bookstore” recently shared a letter from the Trade Development Council on social media, informing them that their application to participate was not accepted. Leanne, the store manager of “Boundaries Bookstore”, mentioned in an interview that they received notification of their rejection at the end of January without any explanation. Last year, during the fair, they were notified by fair staff for three consecutive days to remove certain books following complaints, including titles like “Apocalyptic Exercise” by Liu Weitang, “Last Faith” by Ou Jialin, “Daily Exercise” and “Expat Kids” by Leung Lizi. Leanne questioned the criteria as these books were just fiction and essays with no clear guidelines.
Feeling helpless about the rejection, Leanne acknowledged the fair’s significance in boosting the bookstore’s sales and providing a rare opportunity for new writers to interact with readers. With this door now closed, they will seek alternative channels to sell their books.
The other rejected publishing house, “Blue Sky’s Day”, led by Ng Tsz Chun, noted that last year, they were asked to remove a total of five books, including works by Ou Jialin and Siu Jazhen. Ng argued that a book like “Turbulence” was merely a travel guide and thus chose to keep it available. He criticized the fair for its lack of transparency in their review process, prompting questions about its fairness.
Ng also revealed that last year, due to their refusal to take down the book “Turbulence”, they were warned that it might affect their application to exhibit in the following year. He questioned, “As a legal publisher with books sold elsewhere legally, why are we not allowed to participate?” Ng believes that the fair should embody inclusivity and diverse voices, criticizing the trend of pushing out independent publishers one by one, leading to a lack of diversity in the fair.
In response to media inquiries, the Trade Development Council only stated that they “do not comment on individual cases” and mentioned that it is common for some applications to be rejected during event preparations.
Since 2022, several publishing houses and bookstores have been denied participation or chosen to withdraw from the fair, including “Have Culture”, “Mountain Path Culture”, “Hummingbird Publishing” and “Subculture Hall”. Concerns within the publishing industry are growing as the fair’s screening and selection mechanisms are becoming stricter, diminishing the fair’s original freedom and diversity.
Despite being rejected, both “Blue Sky’s Day” and “Boundaries Bookstore” have affirmed their commitment to continue publishing and promoting books. Ng Tsz Chun stated that the independent publishing sector has seen a slight revival in recent years, with supporters and new entrants increasing despite not being able to participate in the fair. He mentioned, “Even if we can’t join the book fair, we will keep going.”
With the exclusion of certain publishers raising questions about the fair’s policies of inclusion and censorship, the landscape of the Hong Kong Book Fair appears to be evolving, potentially impacting the diversity of voices and ideas that can be showcased at this renowned event.