Key facts
- Independent bookshops in Hong Kong are facing increased scrutiny and closures.
- Police have arrested owners and employees of several bookshops on sedition and money laundering charges.
- These bookshops were popular with mainland Chinese readers seeking literature unavailable in China.
- The crackdown is seen as a consequence of China's growing control over Hong Kong and the National Security Law.
- Several bookshops have closed or announced impending closures within the past month.
Independent bookshops in Hong Kong, which have become vital spaces for mainland Chinese readers seeking literature unavailable in their home country, are facing increasing pressure and closures. These stores, stocking books on topics ranging from Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement to allegories of authoritarianism, are being targeted by authorities under China's National Security Law.
Hunter Bookstore, a popular spot for readers like Chen Zhu from Guangzhou, was raided in late June, leading to the arrest of its owner, Letitia Wong, on sedition and money laundering charges. Wong denies the accusations and has been released on bail. This follows similar arrests at Book Punch in March and raids on Greenfield Bookstore and Have a Nice Stay in July, resulting in five arrests for sedition. Greenfield Bookstore has announced it will close after its lease expires, marking the third independent bookshop to shut down within a month.
These bookshops offered a sense of freedom, community, and intellectual exploration for young readers from mainland China, who often travel to Hong Kong specifically to find titles that challenge official narratives or explore taboo historical events like the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Readers like Li from Shanghai expressed that these spaces provided a sense of possibility and a challenge to existing ideas, something scarce in mainland China. They also valued the personal touch of handwritten notes from booksellers and the sense of solidarity, such as messages left for victims of a recent tragedy.
However, the increasing presence of authorities, even at bookshop events, signals a curtailment of this freedom. Booksellers who spoke anonymously noted that raids are not limited to explicitly political shops, impacting stores like Luck Win Bookstore and Elmbook as well. The closures and arrests reflect a broader trend of diminishing free speech and autonomy in Hong Kong since the implementation of stricter security laws.