What to See at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in Mar. 2023

The Hong Kong International Literary Festival and Young Readers Festival are set to return in March of this year, bringing together emerging and established writers to share their love of storytelling.

For the first time, the two festivals will run concurrently, offering a week-long celebration of reading from Mar. 6 to Mar. 14, at various venues across the city; including Tai Kwun, Asia Society, and the Hong Kong Maritime Museum.

The festival will feature over 70 international and local speakers, with more than 100 events for adults and children. As part of the festival, multi-award-winning Canadian novelist Emily St. John Mandel, author of ‘Station 11’, will take the stage on Mar. 12.

Shehan Karunatilaka, the winner of the 2022 Booker Prize, and Vietnamese-American author Violet Kupersmith will also be present. Along with appearances from accomplished travel writer Pico Iyer, poet Paolo Caronni, and urban researcher Sampson Wong.

The festival will showcase Hong Kong's hospitality and culinary scene, with renowned food critic Susan Jung sharing her insights into her upcoming book, ‘Kung Pao and Beyond: Fried Chicken Recipes from East and Southeast Asia’.

HKILF Director Soo Jung Hyun stated, "This year the Festival is doubly significant as it celebrates Hong Kong's reopening and promotes its position internationally as a meeting place for diverse literary talent."

The festival aims to inspire continued interest in the written word and provide a platform for underrepresented, emerging writers. Book your tickets here.