The 2012 Hong Kong International Festival is here!

The 2012 Hong Kong International Literary Festival opens today!

Tonight features the Festival's Opening Night Party, and then from Friday October 5, our full range of events will kick off.

Now in its twelfth year, the Festival has blossomed. 

Travel Wire Asia rates us as one the six best literary festivals in this region. In 2012, it features a smorgasbord of cultural options—from books to music to food. A feast for all the senses.

This year, alongside books, literature, writing and big ideas, festivalgoers will also experience a taste of Hong Kong’s nightlife and cultural scene, sipping martinis alongside celebrated authors, and listening to jazz music while nibbling canapés.

Hong Kong has long won hearts and minds around the world with its foodie culture and its neon-splashed nightlife. Come along and sample the best of what the city has to offer, rubbing shoulders with all the readers and writers who are here for the Festival.

It promises to be a series of memorable moments—there might not be any of Proust’s famous madeleine biscuits to crystallise the moment, but there will certainly be spicy Sichuan dishes, cool cocktails, and hi-tea to enjoy! All served alongside a healthy portion of literary fare.

So come along and be prepared to enjoy a distinctly Hong-Kong take on a Proustian moment in time.

Explore, taste and enjoy Hong Kong

What is it that makes literary festivals so special?

For one thing, they offer the chance to see our favourite authors up close and personal.

There’s nothing like hearing a writer’s voice, starting to get a feel for their accent, and spotting a few personal quirks and mannerisms.

There’s a real sense of excitement in getting a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of an author you have long admired.

But festivals offer another serious pleasure, too: they introduce us to authors we may never have heard of before; they open up whole new worlds of reading and thinking. They explode our preconceptions and allow us to wander down unexpected literary pathways.

Literary festivals provide time and breathing space in our bustling urban environment to just sit back, relax and new ideas and stories from smart and engaged people. In this respect, attending a festival is like being invited to a really great dinner party—the conversation is fabulous, and the guests are perfectly chosen. Bon appetit!

Part of the pleasure of attending a literary festival is getting a taste of the unknown—a new writer, a new genre, a new perspective or outlook. Festivals encourage us to stray off the beaten path as readers, and this is a wonderful thing.

But one of the things that’s also extra special about our festival here in Hong Kong is that our events are held at distinctive venues sprinkled throughout the city. This gives festivalgoers a real chance to experience the urban gem that is Hong Kong.

All aspects of our city’s heritage and its contemporary charms are touched upon via our diverse festival venues.

   

There’s the up-to-the-moment cool of the Kee Club, for instance, which is perched above the historic Yung Kee Restaurant—famed stomping ground of early-20th-century Chinese moguls. Kee showcases the finest art and design from around the world within a European-influenced environment; a perfect setting for taking in the festival in style.

At the Helena May, a unique heritage building founded by Lady May in 1916, you will encounter a lush outdoor garden and significant Colonial English architecture and detailing as well as one of the finest and most extensive English-language libraries in Hong Kong.

Also offering a glimpse of old Hong Kong is Hullett House in Tsim Sha Tsui. This landmark white stucco building is one of the oldest surviving colonial government buildings in Hong Kong, beginning its life as a Marine Police headquarters in 1884. The property, which is now a boutique hotel, is named in honour of Richmond William Hullett, a 19th century English academic and scholar who discovered a variety of Bauhinia which is still represented on Hong Kong’s flag and coins today.

Of course, Hong Kong has long been a meeting point for East and West—and this distinctive mix can be sampled at Club Lusitano, known for its exclusively Portuguese clientele and authentic cuisine. The Club has been a long-standing fixture of Ice House Street since 1866, and represents Hong Kong’s fusion of European and Asian influences, drawing in the Macanese population.

And for those who want to check out all that Hong Kong has to offer in terms of contemporary design, and the international jet-set? Then drop in on an event or two at the striking Hotel ICON, designed by celebrated architects Terence Conran, Rocco Yim and William Lim. The hotel’s striking public spaces, impressive vertical garden by Patrick Blanc and grand sweeping staircase are all vivid reminders of just how chic HK can be.

The bottom line is that attending a literary festival offers more than authors, words, ideas and books: it’s also a chance to explore the Hong Kong cityscape.

Come along and delve into the hidden pleasures of this city’s nooks and crannies, and perhaps find a few new and interesting boltholes in which to while away the hours, both when the festival is running, and long afterward as well. Explore, taste, enjoy!

Food Writers Take the Festival by Storm!

It’s no surprise that many words we associate most closely with the pleasure of eating—taste, appetite and hunger, for instance—are the same words we use when talking about the pleasures of books.

We ‘hunger’ for a new title by a much-loved author.

We ‘devour’ books by the bagful.

And we ‘savour’ the words and phrases of our favourite writers.

Reading is clearly a very sensual pleasure.

So this year’s Festival line-up has a particular treat in store for festival-goers. For the first time ever, food writers are on the agenda.

We will have acclaimed three food writers with us in Hong Kong in 2012: Fuchsia Dunlop, Cheryl Tan and Tracy Griffith.

All three writers are experts when it comes to tickling the tastebuds, and each has her own speciality.

Photo Credit: Andi Sapey

Fuchsia Dunlop is a prominent cook and highly regarded food-writer from the UK. She is Chinese cuisine specialist. Her newest book is Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking. She has also written a memoir, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper, and two critically-acclaimed Chinese cookery books, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbookand Sichuan Cookery. Fuchsia has a deep passion for Chinese flavours and cookery techniques, and speaks Mandarin Chinese.

You can follow Fuchsia’s at-home adventures in the world of food on her blog at http://www.fuchsiadunlop.com/blog/. She writes about everything from new Chinese greens she’s unearthed in London, to the politics of the pork trade, through to the exact technique required for making jellyfish jelly!

Chef Tracy Griffiths is one of the few female sushi chefs anywhere in the world. Before becoming a trained sushi chef, she acted in Hollywood and also released a country music CD. But now she rocks the world of sushi, in inimitable style. Tracy turns our preconceived notions of sushi upside down and inside out.

Our third food writer not to be missed is Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, a New York-based writer whose memoir A Tiger In The Kitchen shares how she discovered her Singaporean family by learning to cook with them. Born and raised in the eating mecca that is Singapore, Cheryl is an avowed foodie.

Cheryl’s blog http://atigerinthekitchen.com/ is regularly updated with tales from the kitchen bench, the dining table and beyond. You might find her talking about how durians (which, as she says, do look a little like mediaeval weapons), are famously banned on Singapore’s public transportation system, or extolling the pleasures of a simple lobster roll.

All three writers are set to be a blast at the Festival this year—so come along, grab a seat and get ready to chow down on a feast that will revolve around all things food!

Calling Booklovers!

Most often think of book clubs as a relatively modern creation and associate them with women. But, surprisingly, book clubs have been around for a staggering three hundred years and in the beginning, at least, were social gatherings dominated by men. 

Beginning in the 1720s, book clubs were formed by the upper classes, strictly reserved for the elite. The idea of convening and discussing books began with the men of the eighteenth century and gained much popularity as women joined in. Through the gradual shift from sewing circles and church groups to more enclosed and private settings, women eventually formed their own reading clubs.

The development of book clubs became more evident in the nineteenth century with the women's education movement. Book clubs provided an opportunity to discuss political studies and literature. While reading is in itself a solitary act, many people have a strong desire to share their reading experience with others.

Today, books clubs are a means to share a love of reading with like-minded people while offering a structured outlet to speak about books. Within a discussion group, readers can focus their opinions, enhance their understanding and gather new perspectives.

The Dymocks-Hong Kong International Literary Festival Book Club

In keeping with our desire to promote reading, we have teamed up with Dymocks Booksellers to launch a new Book Club. This is exclusively for Friends of the Festival and Dymocks Gold Members. Each month, participants will meet to discuss books written by Festival authors. So this is the perfect way to be prepared for the Festival in October. Mark the Festival dates in your diary - 5 to 14 October.

Our very first Book Club meeting was held on June 22nd at the Kee Club where we discussed June’s Book of the Month - The Road to Wanting by Wendy Law-Yone. For those who missed out in the discussion, meet Wendy Law-Yone when she comes to the Festival in October.

More About The Book Club
Meetings will be scheduled once a month. Attendance at our monthly Book Club meetings is free, but registration is limited to 20 attendees. Participants will receive an advance reading copy of the book.

For information on our next Book Club meetings, visit our website. Or just sign up for our e-Newsletter via our website so you do not miss out on our announcements.

Happy Reading!

Joyce-athon A Success!

On Saturday, June 16 2012, the Hong Kong International Literary Festival held a 10-hour session of readings from James Joyce's Ulysses in celebration of Bloomsday from noon until around 10pm. 

So what is Bloomsday?  Bloomsday is held annually on June 16 for the purpose of commemorating and celebrating the life and works of the Irish writer James Joyce.  Every Bloomsday, the events of Joyce's chef-d'oeuvre - Ulysses -  are relived.  Ulysses chronicles the passage of Leopold Bloom, the book's protagonist (from which the name of the fesetival is derived), through the city of Dublin throughout the day of June 16, 1904.  Joyce chose to set his novel on this specific day for it was the date of his first outing with Nora Barnacle, Joyce's wife-to-be.  Bloomsday is observed in Dublin and in many other countries across the globe.
 

Despite the rainy weather, many avid readers and listeners came out to support the Festival's first ever Bloomsday event.  In addition to the fantastic readings (some enhanced by authentic Irish accents), participants enjoyed lovely Joyce music, warm Joyce chat, and delectable Jameson whiskey sponsored by Pernod Ricard.  The Festival was honored to have Harry O'Neill, the Honorary Consul of Ireland to Hong Kong, say a few words at this very Irish event. 

Visit our Facebook page for event photos.

For those who missed out on the bona-fide Irish atmosphere, have no fear! The 2012 Hong Kong International Literary Festival, which will be held from the 5th to the 14th of October, will be bringing you Irish writers John Boyne and Colm Toibin.

A little bit about John Boyne and Colm Toibin:

John Boyne was born in Joyce's hometown of Dublin.  He is the author of the highly acclaimed novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which was made into an award-winning Miramax film.  His more recent works include Noah Barleywater Runs Away (2010), The Absolutist (2011), as well as The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket, which will be published in the UK, Australia and Ireland in August 2012.  His novels are published in 45 languages. 


Colm Toibin was born in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford and is the author and co-author of over 24 fiction, non-fiction and short story books.  His works include The Master (2004), Brooklyn (2009), New Ways to Kill Your Mother (2012) and The Empty family (2010).  He is regarded by critics as having excelled at the many literary forms he has experimented with and is a regular contributor to the Dublin Review, the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books.  In 2006 he was appointed to the Arts Council in Ireland.

Under The Radar

It is just over forty-eight hours to go until curtain up on the 11^th Hong Kong International Literary Festival, and what a busy forty-eight hours it is going to be! The programme has been printed, the posters are up and the tickets are selling like hot cakes – the only missing ingredient is you!

The chances are that if you are reading this blog then you will have already bought tickets for some of the events at HKILF 2011, but there are many other events that you may have missed or overlooked on the first read of the programme.

Fantastic writers such as Wena Poon, who will be appearing at the Festival in two events on Thursday 10^th and Wednesday 16^th March 2011. Wena’s new novel ‘Alex y Robert’ was picked as a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.

In 1959, two famous Spanish matadors, who were best friends, died. Alex y Robert is the witty, modern fable of their grandchildren: Alejandra, a young American woman determined to become a matador, and Roberto, a reluctant star Spanish bullfighter whom she recruits to help her. Part travel adventure, part cultural critique, the novel portrays man’s complex relationship with animals and a new generation’s surprising take on an ancient and controversial spectacle.

Join Wena at the Central Library or at Uno Mas for Eat Pray Bullfight! Wena will also be appearing on RTHK Radio 3 with Sarah Passmore on Wednesday 15^th March.

It is often said that everybody has a book in them, and sure enough HKILF is hosting a number of events at this year's Festival to unleash the writer within. Join 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize judge, Hsu-Ming Teo and UK super literary agent, Darley Anderson as they lead two inspiring masterclasses. One on creative writing on Wednesday 16^th March. Or if you already have that bestseller written but it is sitting in your drawer – find out how to get it to the people that matter in another of our ‘Aspiring Writing Series: How to be Published Successfully and Make Money’ on Monday March 14^th. Need a literary agent? Why not come and quiz our panel, Marysia Juszczakiewicz of Peony Literary Agency, Darley Anderson and bestselling author Constance Briscoe in ‘Agent or Writer?’ at Hong Kong Racing Museum.

Tickets available from Cityline ticketing and follow us on Twitter (@litfest_hk) and on Facebook for all the latest news, competitions, photos and gossip from HKILF 2011.

See you at the Festival!

Happy New Year!

So here we are, 10 days in to 2011, and only 56 days away from the start of the eleventh Hong Kong International Literary Festival!

We have been busy over the festive season adding new events to our line up and gearing up for the opening of general ticket sales on 16th January 2011 on Cityline. The holidays also provided time to reflect on 2010 and some of the great novels that have been published this past year. Sifting through the numerous 'Best of 2010' lists, a few names seem to crop up time and again; writers such as Jonathan Franzen, Howard Jacobson, and Festival participant Emma Donoghue for her novel 'Room'. Also announced at the end of last year was the Longlist for the Man Asian Literary Prize, judged by Festival participants Monica Ali, Hsu-Ming Teo and Harvard professor Homi K. Bhabha. It is hard to pick a favourite book of 2010 but we would love to hear your suggestions, the Guardian has an interesting list here which shows the great range of books published in 2010, including a contribution from former HK Governor Chris Patten.

As well as looking at writers from last year, HKILF has also been nurturing the talent of the Hong Kong writers of the future! In partnership with Hong Kong libraries, the Festival is hosting a series of workshops for children in Primary 4-6 to improve their creative writing and poetry skills. Two series run by Susan Scarlata, Timothy Kaiser and Brendan Benson allow the budding writers to let their pen and imagination collide on the page. We are certain there are some future Festival authors amongst this bunch!

And we are off!

 So are you pleased? Is it what you expected? Is there anyone else that you are hoping to see in the programme come March?

Well hopefully today has given enough of a teaser for everybody to feel excited about Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011.

This morning at 10am, we started our marathon, Tweetathon! Announcing names of the line up for next year every half hour.

Here is how it went, if you missed it:

Wednesday December 1^st 2010 - 09:45 am

15 minutes until we announce the names for Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011! #HKILF11

Here we go! Emma Donoghue will be coming to #HKILF11 to share her New York Times Bestseller & @ManBookerPrize 2010 shortlisted novel ‘Room’

Wena Poon will be visiting Hong Kong next March to discuss Alex y Robert. The story of an American girl who wants to be a Matador! #HKILF11

When a Billion Chinese Jump is @guardian journalist Jonathan Watts @jonathanwatts latest travelogue through China. Hear him at #HKILF11

Sir Andrew Motion is coming to Hong Kong International Literary Festival Need we say any more! #HKILF11

 

Inaugural @MALPrize nominee and local Hong Kong author, Xu Xi is set to appear at #HKILF11 discussing ‘Habit of a Foreign Sky’

Mixing it up at #HKILF11 with his unique performance style will be Benjamin Zephaniah – brought to HK in partnership with @BritishCouncil

We are very pleased to announce that Indian author Amitav Ghosh is joining us to celebrate the written word at #HKILF11

@MALPrize Judge, Monica Ali, will also be stopping by to give a reading and discuss her latest book at #HKILF11

 

So far: Monica Ali, Andrew Motion, Amitav Ghosh, Benjamin Zephaniah, Jonathan Watts, Xu Xi, Wena Poon and Emma... http://fb.me/NGNptqYC

SO round two of authors... One of the UK's first black female judges Constance Briscoe will discuss her bestseller, Ugly at #HKILF11

Hiromi Goto will also be coming to Hong Kong for the #HKILF11 between 8th - 18th March 2011. Not long to go!

Thanks to everybody that joined in on Facebook and Twitter, commenting, ‘like’ing, Tweeting and ReTweeting!

Of course the names above are just some from the varied line up for next year. We still have many more names and literary heroes to announce over the next few weeks and in the run up to the Festival. One way you can get to find out first is by coming along to our Festival Launch Dinner next week at Gitone Restaurant!

Eat, drink and discuss with the literati of Hong Kong and find out who will speak at the 11th Hong Kong International Literary Festival. At the same time, be the first to book tickets for selected events. For one night only, purchase festival tickets and receive a signed Festival book of your choice.

Date:                 Wednesday, 8 December 2010 @ 7.30pm


Venue:            Gitone Restaurant G/F, GB27-28, Lei King Wan,

45 Tai Hong Street, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong


Cost:                HK$500 for Friends of the Festival  

HK$550 for non-members

To book your dinner tickets, please email marketing@festival.org.hk or call 2877 9797.

After the launch night, Cityline Ticketing, HK, will handle ticket sales for the 2011 Festival, with sales to Friends of the Festival beginning on 10^th December, and going on general release on 17^th January 2011.

Kowloon City Book Fair

What better way to spend a perfect Hong Kong weekend than wondering around the stalls, talks, performances and everything else related to books at the Kowloon City Book Fair!

Visitors to the fair were treated to a cultural feast this Saturday and Sunday at the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, and the weather held up too, adding to this fantastic event.

It was great to see so many people there, and so many movers and shakers from the Hong Kong literary scene. We got chatting to independent publishers MCCM, who publish a range of local writers from here in Hong Kong, including a great range of children's books.

New technology was also present at the Book Fair with iRead, a new service that allows users to read Cantonese books straight on their iPad or mobile reading device. HKILF had a go with some of the iPad displays and it was certainly great fun.

Were you at the fair? What else caught your eye? We would love to hear from you! Send us your pics to media[at]festival.org.hk and we will put the best ones up on the blog.

Congratulations to everyone involved in organising the event, especially Rachel Au Yeung who was very busy rushing around making sure it was all running smoothly. It definitely got us in the mood to make Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011, the best one yet!

The Guessing Game!

Things are getting very exciting here at HKILF HQ as we are gearing up to announce our list of author participants for next year’s festival.

Rest assured we have secured some world class international authors as well as some local favourites to delight Hong Kong’s literati in March.

Next Wednesday, 1^st December, we will be announcing a name of one of our participants every half hour on our Twitter account (@litfest_hk) and on our Facebook page. If you are on either of these sites, make sure you get connected to get the inside scoop.

But you still have four more days to guess who might be in the programme, tweet, facebook or tell us your ideas below and you never know, you might just be very happy on Wednesday.

Next Wednesday we will also be announcing a very special event for our Friends of the Festival, if this is you then remember to check back next week!

Political Pen Points

Political memoirs are growing in popularity amongst readers, and often top international book charts. Today sees the US release of George W. Bush's political memoir 'Decision Points', published by Crown Publishers, a book that has already caused a great deal of attention around the world. 

Last Month in British GQ, Charlie Brooks asked "Who are political memoirs meant to serve? The people who write them, or the readers who consume them?" An interesting question given the reportedly large sums of money political leaders are allegedly paid once they leave office, some have estimated Bush has earned US$7m from this deal. Are political memoirs a chance to set the record straight, to offer insight or a means to influence history's judgement on a leader's time in office?

An interesting article from Time Magazine gives a run down of the Top 10 political memoirs of our time. What are your views on the list, are there any that they have missed out? And which politician turned writer, past or present, would you love to see us have at the Festival next year?

To blog or not to blog?

It seems blogs are everywhere these days, and their focus ranges from McDonalds to Polar Bears. Politicians are blogging, authors are blogging even Jane Austen has a blog...

At the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, we thought it was time to start making our bookmark in the bloggersphere and find out what all the fuss is about. From now until the festival next March (the dates are Tuesday 8th - Friday 18th if you haven't put it in your diary yet!) we will blogging on all things books and with sneak peaks, competitions and all the latest news from the festival.

Right now we are putting the finishing touches to our stellar line up of authors which we will be revealing late November, and we are very excited to tell the world who will be coming to Hong Kong and getting involved in HKILF 2011!

To find out more about the festival, click this link to take you to our main site www.festival.org.hk