香港電台網站 : 第&

香港電台網站 : 第三台|#Hashtag Hong Kong|James Chong, Founder & CEO, Rolling Books

Today is World Book and Copyright Day. UNESCO's General Conference picked this day to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. I did not realise before I founded Rolling Books, that this week is our peak season for our school activities engagement: librarian teachers would confirm our shows months in advance for our facilitator-performers to engage with children in primary schools with interactive and educational theatre shows related to picture books, reading, and storytelling. Does that mean, reading is getting popular in schools again? Or is it just the only day of the year when we care about reading? Book Depository is closing in a few days. While I am going to miss the action of opening brown paper packages from the mail, do we still desire reading in this age of digital media?
With all the digital screens getting our attention every day, would you still pick up a book of your choice and read it anymore? Do you get your news from newspapers anymore? While on public transport, would you rather hold a book in your hand, or your eyes would rather absorb blue light from your mobile phone? The question is, are we too busy to read, or is it just a lost cause given our obsession with endlessly scrolling through our social media feeds on our electronic devices? Do we care about reading books anymore?
We talked about "Knowledge changes lives" for many years when we mentioned the reasons to read. The education system in Hong Kong and elsewhere place a heavy emphasis on academic achievement, and reading was part of the deal.  There are still parents who relate reading to schoolwork and encourage children to read more and to read beyond their ages, which often leaves little time and little incentive for leisure reading. Many students are so focused on studying for exams that they do not have the time, energy, or mood to read for pleasure, or for their own purpose.
When the pandemic hit us a few years ago, we had no choice but to stay isolated at home, facing walls and screens, for classes, shopping, work, sports, chat, and for new friends. With the constant stimulation from digital screens leading to mobile addiction, we need to unlearn our online presence and be able to spend more time alone and be in solitude. Being able to hold a physical book in hand, might well be one of the most convenient and affordable ways to reduce your stress and find your well-being balance.
When we talk about reading, we want exactly that: spending good time with books may well be spending good time with yourself. We practice solitude by reading. We dive into the stories and facts of fiction and non-fiction, quietly connect to the rest of the world through words of imagination and descriptions, build resilience by staying alongside characters in novels, or learn empathy by understanding the life stories of others in the world.
 
Our little social enterprise works on different aspects of reading promotion: collecting and distributing second-hand books, arranging storytelling sessions for teachers and parents, engaging ethnic minority children in learning Chinese through storytelling, publishing picture books for the visually challenged children, and even incubating the next generations of bookstores operators...... We want to leverage the accessibility of reading through various means. We want reading to be seen more often, in libraries, cafes, parks, on MTR, in public spaces..... and in your heart. We believe that by making reading more accessible, not only do we talk about upward mobility for families, but we can also help to create a culture of literacy and resilience building in Hong Kong during its challenging years ahead.
However, don't rely on us about changing the reading culture in Hong Kong. We need more allies in doing so. It requires the support and engagement of the entire community: We need individuals, teachers, schools, bookshops, NGOs, the private sector and government facilitation to come together to create this culture in our city. This could mean providing access to free or low-cost reading materials, streamlining our second-hand books circulation, allocating spaces for bookshops to operate, and even investing in public spaces dedicated to reading.
As an individual, I call for your action to consider sending books to friends as gifts on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and even Valentine's Day. The selection of books as a gift is an intimate act for a special connection between the sender and the receiver. You need to know the person very well to be able to pick a good book as a gift.
As a company with ESG goals, perhaps seek opportunities in your business to promote reading with social impact. Allocate spaces in your premise for book crossing and hosting reading activities for staff as team building events.
Reading should no longer be seen as a luxury or a privilege but as an essential part of personal growth, social development and connection. We need to promote reading as a form of entertainment, education, social capital and well-being self-care.
On this World Book and Copyright Day, let us all take a moment to celebrate the purpose of reading. This year, UNESCO’s message is about Indigenous Languages and their representation of the world’s cultural diversity. Being an international city with fluency in English, Chinese and Cantonese, we are a proud preserver of the dialect. We notice more articles and classics being translated to written Cantonese in books, there is even a magazine published in Cantonese writing. Perhaps one of the initiatives you can start this year, if you can, is to read a book in Cantonese writing. You might start to love it.
Let us remember that reading is not just a good habit, but can be a celebration of our life stories, perhaps a fundamental part of our humanity even. And let us work together to promote a more visible reading culture in Hong Kong so that everyone can have access to the power of the written words on pages.
Thank you for listening. Good Reading.
May I recommend this song, which reminds me about reading, or perhaps more about bookshops operation?
The song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder from the soundtrack of the movie "You've Got Mail"

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China , Hong Kong , Chinese , Stevie Wonder , , World Book , Rolling Books , Book Depository , Indigenous Languages , Deliveredi M ,

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