Independents’ Day in Hong Kong

21 JUNE 2006: Independent Publishers of Hong Kong, a new collaboration of five Hong Kong presses, presents a new vision for the Hong Kong publishing industry: books with an independent voice, yet publishers with a united one. The newly founded group, with members printing in Chinese and English, works collectively and non-competitively to create innovative ways to bring its wide range of fine-quality books to the public.

Independent Publishers of Hong Kong (www.iphk.org) issues this announcement today, the longest day of the year, and the change of Spring to Summer, to reinforce both the long tradition of independent presses throughout history, and the cutting edge position in the publishing industry.

Founders Blacksmith Books, Enrich Publishing, Haven Books, MCCM Creations, and Sixth Finger Press publish biographies, architecture, novels, guide books, illustrated books, short stories, poetry, art, design, children’s, and bilingual Chinese-English books. The five presses have many successes: a title with two reprints (Blacksmith Books), 21,000 copies of a title sold in two months (Enrich Publishing), RTHK Book of the Month (Haven Books), international design awards (MCCM Creations), and authors have toured over 25 cities with their books (Sixth Finger Press).

The first activities of Independent Publishers of Hong Kong are a conference at the University of Macau (27-29 June 2006) and the Hong Kong Book Fair (19-24 July 2006). At Booth 2A09 in Hall Two of the Hong Kong Book Fair (http://hkbookfair.com), readers can see the diversity of the group’s books. More than a dozen new books will be featured.

The roots of Independent Publishers of Hong Kong began in Spring 2005, when Sixth Finger Press initiated Small Press Dim Sum, a friendly event over a Hong Kong pastime during the 2005 Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Two collaborations with like-minded publishers followed: Small Press Coffee at a Hong Kong Arts Centre cafe in August 2005, and Small Press Party at Club 71 in March 2006, to celebrate international Small Press Month.

The members of Independent Publishers of Hong Kong will continue to promote their collective publishing efforts at major literary festivals and fairs, as well as through special events. Other independent presses will be invited to join the partnership.

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For book lists, online ordering and author bios, please visit our member publishers' websites.