HONG KONG – The annual Hong Kong Book Fair will return from July 17 to 23, featuring film and television literature through mini-exhibitions, seminars and artificial intelligence technologies, the organizer said on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council said at a media preview on Tuesday that this year’s event will bring together 760 exhibitors from home and abroad, which is similar to the number of exhibitors at the last edition.

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Apart from booths set up by booksellers and publishing houses, the weeklong event will feature over 600 cultural activities based on the “film and television literature” theme, exhibiting books, film scripts, awards and props owned by famous authors, screenwriters and directors.

An AI-powered script writing will be deployed at the venue. Visitors can type in specified keywords according to their imagination to generate new pictures and plots of classic movies

The fair will have exhibition areas showcasing the works of directors such as Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark, and Ann Hui On-wah, and classic literary titles that have been adapted for the screen, including those written by Louis Cha Leung-yung (Jin Yong), Ni Kuang, and Eileen Chang Ai-ling.

The organizer has invited renowned writers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and overseas to share their creative insights on Hong Kong’s cultural development.

An AI-powered script writing will be deployed at the venue. Visitors can type in specified keywords according to their imagination to generate new pictures and plots of classic movies.

This year’s book fair will again feature a special zone for publishers from the Chinese mainland, and highlight Beijing as the theme city for the first time.

During the event, Yu Yi, the author of Kowloon Walled City – a novel that has been adapted for the big-screen blockbuster hit Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, will share his creative journey and challenges associated with the title’s comic and film adaptations.

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Sophia Chong Suk-fun, HKTDC’s deputy executive director, said the theme of this year’s book fair aims to encourage more people to discover the joys of reading and appreciate the charm of Hong Kong’s literary, film, and television works.

She said the event will help the city in consolidating its position as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange, and promote the concept of “tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong”.

Alan Cheung, curator of the World of Art and Culture Gallery – one of the exhibitions that the fair will present, said the event intends to highlight the transition between literature and film by highlighting the special relationship between books and the silver screen.

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Cheung said the book fair’s goal is to promote appreciation of different forms of arts and culture in Hong Kong through showcasing cultural works from all over the world.

People holding tickets for the book fair can also visit the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and the Hong Kong World of Snacks — both organized by HKTDC — without further cost.

Last year, the Hong Kong Book Fair attracted nearly one million visitors, with an average spend of HK$872 ($110) per person.

Intern Brandon Lam also contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com