For the sake of his children, Jonathan* made the decision last year to leave Hong Kong – his home for more than 30 years – to live in Britain. He brought along some of his most prized things: books about Hong Kong.
The immigrant remembered how his kids used to enjoy reading Chinese books at Hong Kong’s libraries. But after moving to London, the father wondered: “How can I keep my children reading Chinese books?”
Jonathan soon met two other parents who had also moved to the UK from Hong Kong. They shared his worries about keeping their culture and language alive for their children.
The three of them carried many Hong Kong and Cantonese books to Britain, but they did not have a way to share their collections with others.
Therefore, in February, the parents created the HK Books Borrowing and Sharing Centre in the UK, hoping to protect Hong Kong culture by sharing its literature. The website has more than 800 titles.
“The immigrant carries two identities, not only a resident in the UK but more importantly a Hongkonger. So we ought to know our language and pass it on to the next generation,” the founder said.
In 2021, the UK introduced a way for Hongkongers with British National (Overseas) passports to move to the country. More than 182,600 Hongkongers have applied for the scheme, and at least 123,800 people from Hong Kong have moved to the UK.
“I don’t want our lives to be different from what we had in Hong Kong because of distance and language barriers,” Jonathan shared.
When a reader borrows a book from the website, the current book-holder sends it directly to their home. After a month, the borrower posts the book to the next person and pays the delivery charge. If someone new has not borrowed the book yet, the current holder keeps it until further notice.
“Our platform is more like a database to help people know ... who is keeping the book they want. Our service aims to cover the whole country,” he explained, adding that more than 140 books have been borrowed through the website.
The founder stressed: “We hope ... Hongkongers in Britain read the books they are interested in and continue to pass on the culture and history of Hong Kong.”
*Full names withheld at interviewee’s request.
