Hong Kong booksellers are just hoping to match last year’s business levels for the 2026 edition of the city’s annual book fair, with some vendors expressing little optimism during a period of prolonged downturn for the publishing and retail sectors.
The seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair, which runs in tandem with the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks, opens on Wednesday at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
The three events are set to bring together more than 770 exhibitors from about 30 countries and regions.
Danny Leung, deputy general manager of Wan Li Book Company, said the publisher would be satisfied if sales remained consistent with last year’s, although the absence of disruptive weather could provide a modest boost.
“We hope business can be on par with last year, or perhaps improve slightly,” he said. “Last year was affected by a typhoon and the fair effectively lost one day. If the weather is good this year, we hope business will be better.”
