- Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the annual event will not take place as planned in December
- The original July date had already been rescheduled due to rising case numbers
Scenes like these are but a fond memory for another year. Photo: SCMP/K. Y. ChengBad news for book worms: the Hong Kong Book Fair has officially been cancelled for 2020. The annual event was originally scheduled to take place in July, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing rules.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council announced on November 23 that, considering indoor mass gatherings should be avoided and that public health was a top priority, that the event should be rescheduled. It will now be held in July 2021.
The event suffered last year from lower sales and attendance due to the ongoing pro-democracy protests, one of which took place on the Sunday of the fair, bringing traffic around the venue, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, to a halt.
To make it easier for booklovers during the pandemic, an online “book fair” section has been set up on the Book Fair website. This allows people to buy direct from the brands that would have exhibited at the fair.