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The Journey Home -- At St John's Cathedral, a building almost as old as Hong Kong itself, writers and poets reflect on the concept of home. Here, in one of the world's most mobile, transient communities, does home have to be where the heart is? Hearts, after all, can be flighty things.
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small press dim sum -- Enjoy dim sum in a classic setting, with social commentators, children's book authors, poets, designers and illustrators from seven small presses, all based in Hong Kong.
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Oxfam Kids Alike and My Favourite Thing -- Oxfam launches two illustrated bilingual books – photographs of and drawings by ethnic minority children in Hong Kong, and portraits of people with their most cherished thing. A poignant exhibition, running from 1-14 March.
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The Craft of Writing: Writing Satire -- Acclaimed UK author Hari Kunzru headlines an educational discussion on the uses of satire. Can a sharp, humorous pen really be used to "write" wrongs, and if so, how?
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 | Opening Night: Old & New, East & West -- In the first part of this two-part session, William Dalrymple, one of the world's top non-fiction writers, examines the magic of India with one of that country's most exciting new voices, Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi. In part two, you are invited to meet two of the hottest young novelists on the planet, Hari Kunzru and Chad Taylor. SOLD OUT
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52 Women Reveal (almost) All! -- IMPRINT 2005 Launch Party: The WiPS anthology, packed with fiction, poetry, articles and reviews, is hot off the presses.
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Writing Algeria and beyond -- In this talk, Yasmina Khadra will share his extensive experience of his native Algeria, from the independence of the country in 1962 to the recent period, marred by utter violence.
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The Royal Geographical Society White Mughals -- William Dalrymple, winner of the Wolfson History Prize, shares his fascinating research and ground-breaking discoveries into the lives of members of the early British Raj. There will be a reception from 6:30pm, with the talk beginning at 7:30pm.
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 | South China Morning Post Double Bill: Hari Kunzru and Shirley Hazzard -- Two back-to-back, one-on-one sessions with unmissable world-class authors on rare visits to the SAR. First, we'll meet Hari Kunzru, considered one of Britain's finest young novelists. Then Shirley Hazzard, a living literary legend based in New York, takes the stage to share her memories of being a child in Hong Kong in the turbulent 1940s.
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OutLoud The Press Gang -- Hot off the Press! OutLoud poets Sayed Gouda, Alan Jefferies, David McKirdy, Madeleine Marie Slavick and Eddie Tay perform from their newly released and forthcoming books.
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 | Face2Face Islam and the Modern World -- A topical subject: Acclaimed non-fiction author William Dalrymple discusses the complexities of Islamic-Christian relations at a time when maintaining that relationship has become crucial to prevent the world descending into violence. Includes a light continental breakfast.SOLD OUT
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Paradise Lost:Economics Pyongyang Style -- Paul French, the author of the newly published North Korea: Paranoid Peninsula – A Modern History, will detail the rise, fall and dynamics of North Korea’s economy and the likelihood of future change.
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Write the First Time -- What's it like to receive rave reviews and literary awards for your first novel? That fantasy came true for Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi and Hsu-Ming Teo, who will share what happened, and read from and discuss their works. Includes afternoon tea from 3:30 -4:00pm
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The Australian Consulate General The Golden Dragon: Book Launch -- The launch of Peter Osborne's new children's book, The Golden Dragon, which includes illustrations by local artist Lorette Roberts.
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 | The Swallows of Kabul [in French] -- Yasmina Khadra talks about his remarkable novel The Swallows of Kabul, which explores the dangers of religious extremism, and life under an authoritarian regime. This session will be held in French.
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Australian Consulate General From Australia to the World -- Join literary grandmaster Thomas Keneally and other award-winning writers Alex Miller and Hsu-Ming Teo for an evening celebrating the best in contemporary Australian writing.
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Lunch with Shirley Hazzard -- Come and join literary legend Shirley Hazzard for an intimate lunch at the Helena May, as she discusses her latest novel The Great Fire, set in post-war Hong Kong and Japan. SOLD OUT
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The Girl in the Picture -- Award-winning biographer Denise Chong talks about her portrait of Kim Phuc, the naked, terrified, napalm-burned girl in the Pulitzer Prize-winning picture that was to turn public opinion against the Vietnam War.
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Allianz Yu Hua: Reality in Literature (In Phutonghua) -- One of the most widely acclaimed and creative voices of contemporary Chinese literature, Yu Hua will be speaking about what “reality” means to his fictional world, and how renowned author such as Dante, Borges and Yourcenar influenced him. This session is in Phutonghua
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 | The Craft of Writing: Reading Films, Watching Books -- New Zealand author Chad Taylor shares his experiences as a screen writer and talks about the adaptation of novels for film. Based in Auckland, his story Heaven is now a major movie distributed by Miramax.
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The Asia Society The Swallows of Kabul -- Yasmina Khadra talks about his remarkable novel The Swallows of Kabul, which explores the dangers of religious extremism, and life under an authoritarian regime.
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Weekly Hong Kong & HKU Space Snakes and Earrings: New Writing from Japan -- Join young Japanese novelist Hitomi Kanehara as she reads from and discusses her startling, prize-winning book Snakes and Earrings. This session is in Japanese.
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The Fall of British Asia -- Tim Harper discusses his ground-breaking account of World War II, and shows how the conflagration tore Asia apart and brought about the decline of Britain's eastern empire.
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 | Post-colonial Writing -- Prize-winning Canadian author M G Vassanji brilliantly explores the themes of identity, migration and colonial heritage. The themes will be particularly potent in post-handover Hong Kong.
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The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators The Craft of Children's Writing -- Top Canadian children's author Deborah Ellis talks about her approach to writing for young adults. Nury Vittachi will then lead a panel of children's authors discussing the creation of hard-hitting novels for teenagers.The SCBWI will finish the session with local authors Roseanne Thong and Julie McGuire focussing on multicultural picture book industry trends
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 | A Drink With Thomas Keneally -- Enjoy a glass of wine in an intimate setting with Thomas Keneally, one of the world's most celebrated authors. Keneally will read from his latest novel and talk about his work.
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The Joys of Children's Books -- For parents and educators! Join award-winning children's writers Jeremy Strong and Linda Newbery for a stimulating conversation on children's books. The ticket price includes a copy of a book, redeemable at the event. There will be a reception at 7:30pm with the talk beginning at 8pm. Entry limited to audience members 16 years and over.
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Allianz and The South China Morning Post China's Literary Lights -- Enjoy an illuminating evening with two leading Chinese literary lights. Both Yu Hua and Shan Sa capture something essential about China in their writing, yet have managed to make their way to the world stage.
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The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators The Authors Present their Stories -- Canadian children's author Deborah Ellis, along with local writers Nury Vittachi and Peter Osborne in a session for children nine years and older.
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The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Children's Book Readings -- Local children's writers, Sarah Brennan, Karmel Schreyer and Roseanne Thong read from their new books in a session for children 3-8 years.
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 | World War II in Fiction -- Acclaimed New York-based author Shirley Hazzard discusses post-war Hong Kong, and Beijing-born writer Shan Sa discusses Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
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World War II in Fact -- Top non-fiction authors Tim Harper and Phillip Snow discusses the impact of World War II on Asia. A fascinating look at the underlying historical factors that made the region what it is today.
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Journalist, Traveller, Historian -- Anna Reid discusses her latest book, The Shaman's Coat, and shares the challenges of writing as a journalist, traveller and historian.
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Shan Sa: The Girl who Played Go -- Beijing-born writer Shan Sa talks about her award-winning novel The Girl Who Played Go. Now living in Paris, she won the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction with her latest novel. This session will be in French
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 | Weekly Hong Kong & HKU Space Voices of a New Asia -- In the first part of this two-part session, Hitomi Kanehara, talks about her startling, prize-winning book, Snakes and Earrings. In part two, you are invited to meet some more new faces from Asian poetry and fiction, as they read from their works and discuss their lives as writers in the region.
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Islam in Fiction -- At a time when understanding Islam is seen as a key to world peace, three writers present fictional perspectives of Islam from different cultural backgrounds and genres of writing. This is bound to be an thought-provoking discussion.
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Canadian Consulate General and the Canadian Club Northern Lights: A celebration of Canadian writing -- An evening of contemporary Canadian writing from some of the most exciting authors from that nation. The huge, thinly populated country has long produced extraordinary novels.The event will begin with a reception from 6:30 -7:30pm
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OUTLOUD: Open mike -- A lively and entertaining evening of contemporary poetry from published and unpublished poets; always great fun.
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Meet the Authors: Pan Macmillan Champagne Brunch -- Come and join a great line-up of Pan Macmillan's finest authors for a champagne brunch. There will readings from major talents Alan Hollinghurst, Seth Faison, Rosie Milne and Catherine Sampson.
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Thrillers and Killers -- In the wake of The Da Vinci Code, it's clear that mystery-thrillers are possibly the ultimate blockbuster genre. Two authors who like spin mysteries and toy with killers spill dark secrets: Nury Vittachi and Catherine Sampson.
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 | Women in Publishing Society Inner and Outer Journeys in Asia -- Anna Reid and Seth Faison have taken very different journeys through two of the world's largest countries. Reid's was an arduous odyssey through some of the least-known parts of Russia. Faison's voyage is a more personal one, in a China where rapid changes have mirrored his own coming of age. Both are unusual portraits of these two vast, fast-changing countries.
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Man Booker Prize Distinguished Lecture: Becoming a Writer -- Alan Hollinghurst, present winner of the Man Booker Prize, talks about becoming a writer. Hollinghurst, who is beloved by the critics, writes intense, slow-burning novels which are populated by utterly believable individuals and brilliantly capture the time and place in which they are set.
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The Royal Geographical Society The Shaman's Coat -- Anna Reid talks about her extraordinary travels through Siberia and one of the least-traveled corners of Asia: freezing Siberia and the Russian Far East.There will be drinks from 6:30pm, with the talk beginning at 7:30pm.
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 | South of the Clouds: A Personal History of China -- American author Seth Faison, who was deservedly well-known for his pin-sharp writing when he was a China-based foreign correspondent, talks about his experiences of living in the mainland during one of the most interesting periods of its development.
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 | Lines of Beauty -- Join Alan Hollinghurst for a drink at the China Club as he talks about his Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Line of Beauty. Ostensibly the story of a young man's coming of age in 1980s London, it also works as a precisely observed comedy of manners and a record of society and politics in the period when Britain was ruled by an Iron Lady.Drink reception from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. Ticket price includes a signed copy of the book available on the night. SOLD OUT
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