Leafing through the city

Home and the world

The Hong Kong Book Fair, in and of itself, could be seen as a cultural symbol of the city. Its inclusive nature is similar to Hong Kong's own cosmopolitan, all-embracing character.

The fair's English and International Reading Series, supported by the international online book store Book Depository, is meant to encourage a dialogue between internationally-acclaimed novelists and aspiring authors and "spread the joy of reading", according to Sophia Chong, deputy executive director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the fair host.

Authors featured include Simon Toyne, Clare Mackintosh, Maisie Chan and Gillian McAllister, whose most-recent book, Wrong Place Wrong Time (2022), is an international bestseller that has also found a following in Hong Kong.

The novel tells the story of a woman who witnesses her teenage son murdering a stranger. The book is set in a twisted time-frame: Every time the woman wakes up in the morning, she finds herself in the previous day and has to relive the nightmare.

"It's sort of Groundhog Day", the author said, referring to the 1993 romantic comedy starring Bill Murray, whose character also always wakes up in the morning to find himself in the previous day. But the crux of McAllister's new story is about "going back (in time) to try and find the reason why her son commits the crime".

Incorporating magical realism and speculative elements in crime fiction might be the new trend, McAllister says. "There are a lot of Groundhog Day-type books coming out next year, some of them are crime, and I have seen quite a few speculative-ish books as well."

The 32nd Hong Kong Book Fair is a mixed bag of the old and new. From history and memoirs to speculative crime fiction, it covers quite a range. Its eclectic and all-encompassing nature makes it of a piece with the city.