Every time you read literary works, besides appreciating the words and stories written by the authors, it is also a process of exploring the world through their unique perspectives. This year, the 20th Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) takes the theme of “Tense Moments, Perfect Visions,” using novels and non-fiction literature to discuss how the world is dealing with issues such as health, inequality, and climate change, as well as the future of humanity and the planet. This year, more than 120 local and international renowned authors have been invited, combining different modes such as live broadcasts and online interactions to bring you 75 exciting events from November 5th to 15th. You can participate online or offline, joining online book clubs at home, discussing books with friends during gathering restrictions, or attending in person to listen to world-famous authors and emerging writers share their insights and interact with other participants.
Exploring international topics through literature
Several authors will share their unique insights, reflecting on the current world through different literary works. David Frum, editor of The Atlantic, will analyze the current political situation in the United States after the election, while Bob Davis and Lingling Wei, reporters for The Wall Street Journal, will examine the positions of both sides in the US-China trade war. Keith Richburg will moderate a discussion group on which racial issues Hong Kong should pay attention to, An Ran and Karoline Kan will discuss their portrayal of the millennial generation Chinese in their latest works, and American political philosopher and Harvard Law School professor Michael J. Sandel will analyze globalization and the increasingly severe issue of inequality from a new perspective.
Viewing history through literature
In addition, the Hong Kong International Literary Festival has also invited many writers to explore history through literary works. Jonathan Kaufman’s “The Last Kings of Shanghai” portrays themes such as opium smuggling, family conflicts, and political conspiracies, while Robert Bickers’ “History of the Swire Group” is seen as an extension of globalization. Works like Thant Myint-U’s “Hidden History of Burma” and William Dalrymple’s “The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company” are also noteworthy.
Gathering heavyweight novelists from all over the world
As for this year’s literary festival, the lineup for the fiction section is impressive, including “Crazy Rich Asians” author Kevin Kwan, Booker Prize nominees Colum McCann and C Pam Zhang, Irish Novel Prize winner Sebastian Barry, Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, crime series writer of “Vera and Shetland” Ann Cleeves, Man Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson, as well as Hong Kong writers Chan Ho-kei, Chan Koonchung, Xie Xiaohong, and Han Lizhu.
Replay program online
A series of events will be held in two languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, with real-time interpretation available for certain activities. All online events will be uploaded to the website with subtitles within 24 hours after they end, allowing everyone to revisit multiple exciting programs online during the week from the start to the end of the literary festival on November 22.
Among the 75 events of this year’s literary festival, there are 20 free events, with online event tickets priced at HK$50, and on-site event pricing ranging from HK$100 to HK$120. Tickets are available on Ticketflap, with early bird tickets and festival passes already on sale. Within a limited time, purchasing a festival pass allows you to enjoy special discounts, with access to 50 online events for just HK$500. General tickets will be available for public sale starting on October 20th. If you are interested, you can book at ticketflap.com/hkilf20.
圖片來源：香港國際文學節（HKILF）
