Number of banned books slump in HK book fair / 銅鑼灣書店陰影下 香港書展禁書銳減　　　　　　　　　　

The annual Hong Kong book fair just came to an end, but due to the Causeway Bay bookstore incident in which booksellers were picked up and held in China, there were only a few publishers selling books critiquing China. Many readers from China would rather read at the exhibition, than carry books back to China. Books critical of China's politics and leaders used to be popular at the Hong Kong book fair. Many visitors from China visited the book fair. However, this year is different. The number of banned books on China has dramatically decreased, disappointing many visitors. ==MR. SHU, Book fair visitor== I think it's not easy for us to find a place to learn more about cultures and voices. It will be a pity for us if publishing sensitive political books is banned here. After the disappearance of local shareholders and staff from the Causeway Bay bookstore, Hong Kong people protested against Beijing to express their anger and concern, striving for freedom of speech. Some publishers removed sensitive books that offend Chinese authorities from their shelves. However, some readers still wanted to buy them. ==Hong Kong Book Fair visitor== Many authors are not Hong Kong local residents, but from China. There are many academics. China can't completely ban people's freedom of speech, they will publish, whether in Hong Kong, Taiwan or even overseas and they will sell the books in Hong Kong eventually. Hong Kong Publisher Subculture said, due to the Causeway Bay bookstore incident, many authors don't dare to criticize Chinese politics and companies don't dare to print or distribute books and they believe reading should be restricted. ==JIMMY PANG, Head of Hong Kong Publisher Subculture== As publishers, as people who seek to promote culture, we should not fear anything, we should not fear that dictator doesn't allow us to talk. Many publishers self-censor, not wanting to be the next target, this shows the pressure Beijing has over the publishing industry, which bodes ill for freedom of speech and democracy in Hong Kong. TRANSLATED BY：MERVYN KWAN 香港書展過去最大的特色就是，披露中國政治秘辛的書籍非常熱賣，不少來自中國的書迷專程前來書展掃書，但今年的情況出現微妙變化，被中國列為禁書的政治書籍大幅減少，讓許多中國讀者有些失望。 ==中國讀者== 我覺得我們好不容易找到一個地方 能夠吸收更多的文化和聲音 如果被禁止的話 確實對我們來說 還是有一點遺憾的 香港銅鑼灣書店股東，老闆員工等五人的被失蹤案，港人憤慨走上街頭，對北京打壓香港言論自由的黑手表達不滿與擔憂。但銅鑼灣書店的蟬韓效應似乎正在發酵，許多主流書商，在書展前已先行把敏感議題的書目下架，但也有民眾認為，書是禁不了的，總會有方法可以買到。 ==香港讀者== 這些書的作者 好多都不是香港本土人 是大陸下來的 大陸有很多文人 文人的口是封不住的 他們會出書 香港出不了台灣出 台灣出不了外國出 始終都會在香港賣 香港次文化堂出版社表示，受銅鑼灣書店事件影響，涉及中國政治人物鬥爭及八卦的書籍，都被北京當局視為「禁書」，不少作者都不敢碰，即使願意寫，也很難找到出版社及印刷廠配合，但讀書無禁區，很多事情不該有所畏懼。 ==香港次文化堂出版社社長 彭志銘== 我們作為出版 作為文化知識推廣 我們不應該有任何恐懼 不應恐懼獨裁者不讓我們講話 這次香港書展籠罩白色恐怖的氛圍，許多出版商所自發性的自律配合，擔心自己成為下一個被失蹤的對象，許多書商乾脆移民不再碰出版業，顯示北京的打壓手段，出現了一定成效，這對香港的言論自由跟民主絕對不是正面的發展。 記者 靳元慶 報導