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