The “Soaring Creativity - Hong Kong Pavilion” (“Soaring Creativity”) co-organized by Hong Kong Publishing Federation and The Hong Kong Printers Association, sponsored by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and supported by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels, returns to the “Bologna Children's Book Fair” (BCBF) in Italy on 6 to 9 March this year, by setting up a “Hong Kong Pavilion” under the theme “Hong Kong: Our Narrative”, with a view to showcasing the creative achievements of Hong Kong publishers and printers to the world and to exploring business opportunities.

To commenrorate the official opening, a launch cocktail party was held by the organizers of “Soaring Creativity” in the “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the BCBF 2023 on 6 March. The organisers were honoured to have Mrs Lowell Cho, Assistant Head of CreateHK as the Guest of Honour, together with other guests, including Miss Annie Loong, Assistant Representative of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels, Mr Matthew Yum, Chairman of “Soaring Creativity - Hong Kong Pavilion 2023” Organising Committee, Mr Alex Yan and Ms Anita Wan, Chairman and Vice Chairlady of "Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2023 – Hong Kong Pavilion", and Ms Adeline Ko and Ms Karman Chiu, Illustrators-in-Residence of “Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2023 – Hong Kong Pavilion”, to officiate at the ceremony.

 

 

Speaking at the Launch Cocktail Party, Mr Matthew Yum extended his special thanks to CreateHK for its long-standing sponsorship and to all parties for their support, which enable the “Soaring Creativity” project to embark on its European journey once again after the pandemic. He said that the BCBF with a long history and great international influence provides a valuable international platform for Hong Kong’s printing and publishing industry to fully showcase our recent developments and remarkable achievements to the visitors from all over the world through the “Hong Kong Pavilion” which has an offline and an online virtual versions, as well as the newly added Zone “Hong Kong Illustrators” and Illustrators-in-Residence this year.

 

 

Mr Yum remarked that echoing the theme “Hong Kong: Our Narrative”, one of the foci of the “Hong Kong Pavilion” was to promote Hong Kong’s illustration works that have universal languages among readers of different dialects and cultural backgrounds, in order to create more collaboration opportunities for Hong Kong’s printing and publishing industry, as well as to expand Hong Kong’s share in the international children’s book market.

Mrs Lowell Cho, Assistant Head of CreateHK, also thanked Hong Kong Publishing Federation and The Hong Kong Printers Association for co-organizing the “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the BCBF again, which matches with the large-scale promotional campaign “Hello Hong Kong” launched by the HKSAR Government to globally highlight Hong Kong’s new attractions, developments and opportunities.

 

 

 The guests visiting the Hong Kong Pavilion with the exhibitors

 

This year’s “Soaring Creativity” project has received positive responses from the industry with over 800 exhibits from 65 Hong Kong publishers and printers showcased in the “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the BCBF 2023. These exhibits are not only displayed in the offline “Hong Kong Pavilion”, but also in the online virtual version in a bid to connect Hong Kong’s publishing and printing industry to global children’s book publishers, printers, authors, illustrators and comic artists at anytime and anywhere.

Both offline and virtual “Hong Kong Pavilion” have five exhibition zones, including three zones that were also present and popular in previous “Hong Kong Pavilion”. The three zones are the “Industrial Zone” and “Corporate Zone” showcasing Hong Kong’s outstanding publications and printed works, and.the “Recognition and Achievement Zone” showcasing over 100 works by Hong Kong publishers and printers that are either award-winning or participated in Hong Kong’s major support programmes. These awards and support programmes include the “Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards” (“HKPBA”), “China Print Awards”, “HK Digital Advertising Start-ups X Publishing (Writers) Promotion Support Scheme” (“AxP”) and “The Next Writer Publication Funding Scheme” (“Next Writer”).

The “Multimedia Zone” also returns to feature the rapidly developed e-Books. In this zone, apart from audiobooks developed by Hong Kong publishers and printers being exhibited, the “Publishing 3.0 – HK Smart eBook-Hub” (“HK Smart eBook-Hub”) which facilitates Hong Kong publishers to use artificial intelligence (AI) in translating Chinese books into English version and simultanousely convert them into bilingual eBooks and Cantonese, English and Putonghua audiobooks was also introduced to overseas publishers for the first time. 

The abovementioned HKPBA, AxP, Next Writer and HK Smart eBook-Hub are all sponsored by CreateHK to nurture Hong Kong talent and promote sustainable development of the industry.

The remaining zone of the “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the BCBF 2023 is the “Hong Kong Illustration Zone” which spotlights the prosperous development of illustration in Hong Kong in recent years. The zone displays the illustration manuscripts and books of 12 Hong Kong illustrators or picture book authors, who were selected by a panel formed by leading figures in the relevant industries. Two of the exhibiting illustrators were further sponsored by the “Soaring Creativity” project to fly to Italy to be Illustrators-in-Residence of the “Hong Kong Pavilion”.

On the same occasion, a Hong Kong comics artist, Ms Chivas Leung, who received a Special Mention award in the Comics-Young Adult category of 2023 Bologna Ragazzi Award and selected as one of the 2023 Winning Illustrators of the BCBF, was also sponsored by CreateHK to host exchange events in person at the “Hong Kong Pavilion”. This is the first time for artist awarded in the BCBF to participate in activities of “Hong Kong Pavilion”. 

The Illustrators-in-Residence is one of the new highlights of this year’s “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the BCBF. Ms Adeline KO and Ms Karman Chiu, who are the Illustrators-in-Residence, will host sharing sessions and workshops on 7 and 8 March at the “Hong Kong Pavilion” to exchange and share creative inspirations with international counterparts and readers.

Ms Adeline Ko is a seasoned children's literature author and illustrator with a passion for creating picture books. Her works, which focus on family and community life, are characterised by a heartwarming familiarity that resonates with readers. During the BCBF 2023, Ms Ko will host a sharing session titled “Parallel Storylines: Double Journey Narrative”, in which she will discuss her experience in creating stories using a parallel narrative approach. She will also host two sessions of “Hong Kong Skyscrapers and Old Buildings” workshop to explore the unique intersection of old and new architecture in Hong Kong together with the participants.

Ms Karman Chiu was one of the emerging writers admitted to the Picture Book category of the first "Next Writer" in 2020 with her subsidised work “Stranger” published in 2021. Despite being a young illustrator, she exhibits extraordinary fantasy power in her works, allowing readers to reinterpret happiness after reading. Ms Chiu will share with the audience on how to connect fantasy and reality in creation during the “Stranger Creation Sharing: The Connection Between Reality and Fantasy” session. She will also host two sessions of “Flower of Happiness” workshops, where participants can create their own “happy flowers” and experience the warmth and happiness depicted in her works. 

 

 

To further extend the cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Italy, the organizers of the “Soaring Creativity” project will donate selected exhibits of the “Hong Kong Pavilion” to the University for Foreigners of Siena after the BCBF. A book donation ceremony was held during the Launch Cocktail Party of “Hong Kong Pavilion” with Prof. Agostino Sepe as representative of the beneficiary in the ceremony.

 

 

After the BCBF 2023, the “Soaring Creativity” project will move to the Frankfurt Book Fair (“FBF”)_ 2023 by setting up a similar “Hong Kong Pavilion”.  More details of the “Hong Kong Pavilion” at the FBF 2023 will be available on the official website of “Soaring Creativity” at: https://www.bookfairhkpavilion.com  in due course.