Press Release
Amplifying Hong Kong’s Artistic and Cultural Freedom for Global Readers
The Hague, Netherlands – Art and Culture Hong Kong International (ACHKI) will launch the “Independent Publishing Project” on September 28, becoming the first international platform dedicated to publishing Hong Kong art and culture books in English. The project aims to fill the gap in publications related to Hong Kong’s artistic freedom, democracy, and human rights, and to help global readers understand Hong Kong’s cultural context and historical development through English-language books.
In May last year, ACHKI held its inaugural “ImageNation: Hong Kong in Exile” seminar at the Dutch Parliament, bringing together numerous artists, scholars, and advocates to explore the future of exile and cultural freedom. Following the seminar, and in addition to preparing the next international forum, ACHKI decided to launch this English publishing project.
The first book release will take place on October 18, 2025, at the Flying Bookstore in The Hague, Netherlands, conducted in a hybrid format (online + in-person) with online pre-orders available.
Durian, Lamentations, and Umbrellas
The first book launch will feature two new works:
- How to Select a Chief Executive and Other Metaphors of Hong Kong Politics
- Lamentations: Hong Kong 2019–2025
Both authors have lived in Hong Kong for decades, witnessing dramatic societal changes, and each records this history through distinct perspectives and styles.
Durian and Political Metaphors
Jennifer Eagleton – author of How to Select a Chief Executive and Other Metaphors of Hong Kong Politics , who lived in Hong Kong for nearly thirty years, reflects on the political landscape from 1997 to 2024 through 28 vivid metaphors. The book’s cover features a durian, symbolising the thorny nature of elections. She transforms familiar elements of everyday life in Hong Kong into political metaphors, offering observations that are both sharp and relatable. The illustrations inside the book are created by overseas Hong Kong artist Alice Liu, with each piece responding to events of the time.
Lamentations: Record and Witness
Professor Chan-fai Cheung, former Chair of the Philosophy Department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, presents a heart-wrenching account in Lamentations: Hong Kong 2019–2025. He combines three independent works into a single collective elegy for Hong Kong.
He states: “I live in a country with freedom and could have focused on personal happiness, but Hong Kong’s suffering should not remain only within the Chinese-speaking world; it must be heard globally.”
Artistic Resistance, Preserving History Through Visuals
Additionally, the 2020 publication Umbrella Uprising: A Visual Documentation of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests, created by London-based Hong Kong artist Jeffrey Choy, collects promotional works from the first 100 days of the social movement. Nearly 7,000 copies have been sold over the past few years. The book will be a part of ACHKI’s publishing project and will be re-released.
A Self-Initiated Collaborative Publishing Project
ACHKI emphasises that the self-initiated publishing project is an open and collaborative platform. Building on the transnational networks established through last year’s seminars, it connects Hong Kong creators scattered across the globe. The project publishes in English, enabling international readers direct access to Hong Kong’s creative output rather than through secondhand interpretations. ACHKI invites authors, artists, and scholars to participate and help amplify Hong Kong’s cultural freedom to the world.
Loretta Lau, ACHKI spokesperson, says: “This is a project that embraces artistic freedom. Behind self-initiated publishing is a process of mutual support: some create illustrations, others assist with editing; every step is about looking out for each other under limited resources. Creativity has value—and even more, it has significance.”
About ACHKI
Art and Culture Hong Kong International (ACHKI) was founded by 150 Hong Kong and international artists, scholars, and advocates. It explores the intersection of art, culture, and politics, with a particular focus on Hong Kong’s recent social developments. Through research, publishing, and artistic creation, ACHKI extends discussions into broader social and political contexts, promoting international connection, understanding, and change. ACHKI is not only a platform for knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue but also a space where Hong Kong’s values of freedom and democracy continue to be voiced internationally.
Book Purchase and Launch Information
- Publication date: September 28, 2025
- Ordering: Nowhere Bookstore, The Hague, Netherlands, and online (https://nowherenl.myshopify.com/)
- First book launch: October 18, 2025, 14:00–16:00 CET (hybrid: in-person & online) at Nowhere Bookstore NL (Online event: register via www.artandculturehk.com )
- Link to more info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRO_RfbW09TMF_YW4iht-4iEojJfRCNuiFloUk64Vio/edit?usp=sharing
Contact Person: Loretta Lau – loretta.lau@ngodei.org
