New Mong Kok bookshop opens amid harsh winter for indie outlets in Hong Kong

Small independent bookstores tucked away in walk-up tenement buildings above neon-lit streets have long made Mong Kok a sanctuary for Hong Kong book lovers, until recently when one after another was forced to close due to economic headwinds or political uncertainty.

Defying the trend, 41-year-old bibliophile Grace Lau invested a six-figure sum to launch New Year Bookshop, a move driven by passion and lower rents that some in the community regarded as a bold gamble on the neighbourhood’s literary future.

Housed in an upstairs shop on Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok, the roughly 600 sq ft bookshop opened on Sunday, offering more than 2,000 new and second-hand titles focusing on literature, history and philosophy.

Featured prominently on display are titles by Chinese poet Bei Dao and Hong Kong literary giant Liu Yichang, both personal favourites of Lau.

She said opening the shop fulfilled a long-cherished dream, as she is deeply passionate about books.

“For myself, every day when I see these books, I feel quite happy,” the 41-year-old told the South China Morning Post, adding that some of the inventory came from her personal collection, stored in a rented mini-storage unit and her home.

Hong Kong’s independent bookstore industry has been going through a harsh winter this year, with mounting political pressure and business challenges accelerating its decline.

In June, Hunter Bookstore owners Leticia Wong Man-huen and her husband were arrested over alleged sedition and money laundering.

A nearly 30-year-old independent bookstore, Elmbook, announced in July that it was shutting its physical store in Mong Kok after being banned from the Hong Kong Book Fair.

Operating for half a century in the same district, Greenfield Bookstore also announced its closure following a raid by national security police.

Have a Nice Stay bookshop, founded by former journalists, closed in August, with its owner citing unsustainable financial losses and “hard-to-grasp red lines”.

Asked why she would open the bookstore at this time amid the political and economic situations, Lau said: “If I overthink it, I might never go through with it.”

She said the wave of shutdowns did not deter her, as her decision was driven by passion, rather than commercial calculations.

Also, changes in her family condition coupled with an ongoing economic downturn created an unexpected window of opportunity.

Lau said her workload as a mother had lightened after her daughter stepped into secondary school compared with her primary school years, while commercial rents had fallen by roughly 40 per cent from their peak.

The drop led her to invest a six-figure sum in a one-year lease, determined to “give it a try”.

To manage potential exposure and minimise risks, Lau relied primarily on local publishers rather than overseas ones, sourcing from City University of Hong Kong Press, Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, Oxford University Press and Book Matter.

Looking ahead, Lau hopes to host author talks and create a comfortable space where readers can browse and sit at their leisure.

Addressing market demand amid the economic downturn in Hong Kong, she noted that while there was a loyal core of enthusiasts for literature, history and philosophy, only time will tell whether her selection can broaden its appeal to the wider public.

“I figured that my approach is different from theirs anyway … I will try out this model and see how it goes,” she said.