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The death of books? Hong Kong publishers worry as readers become slaves to smartphones

Publishers and booksellers worry about declining sales as people spend more time on smartphones and tablets messaging and playing games

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Hong Kong bookstores are facing declining sales. Photo: Felix Wong

Lam Pik-fun read a book per month during her daily commute to and from Causeway Bay, where she manages Luck-Win Book Store.

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This was until smartphones invaded her life two years ago. With a smartphone in hand, she said she could no longer read books as often.

"All those messages, it feels like you would die if you don't reply to them instantly. And there are all those games," she said. "We've become slaves of phones."

She is far from alone.

Over the past year, fewer people have taken the time to climb the stairs to Lam's shop. The general traffic was down, as was the number of regulars, she said.

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"Some people came once a year before attending the June 4 vigil [in Victoria Park]. There were about 50 of them," she said. "As for this year, there were only about 10."

Declining sales for printed books had been a global phenomenon for years, said Dr Chan Man-hung, who is chairman of the Hong Kong Publishing Federation.

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