HONG KONG (UCAN) -- Despite fears that print media are in decline, Catholic publishers at Hong Kong's recently concluded book fair said they remain confident about the future of Catholic books.

Eleven Catholic publishers and organizations join the Hong Kong Book Fair 2008 from July 23-29 in a booth that looks like a church.

What some did express concern about was the current scarcity of local Catholic books and publications.

Eleven Catholic publishers and organizations in the diocese were among 480 exhibitors at the July 23-29 fair, an annual event organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council at its Convention and Exhibition Centre.

As in previous years, there were fewer visitors to the Catholic booths compared to the stalls of secular publishers, many of which displayed comic and lifestyle books.

Nevertheless, Angela Cheng Wing-yee, coordinator for the Catholic exhibitors, told UCA News she is confident books as a means of evangelization are still relevant, since "there is always a need" for them. Many Catholics enhance their spiritual life and deepen their understanding of God and the Church through religious literature, she remarked.

Cheng, manager of Catholic Centre Bookstore and Religious Articles, said Catholic book sales at the annual fair have been steady in recent years. She added that she hopes Catholic publishing houses can explore more topics or translate works from various places to meet the spiritual needs of Chinese readers from all walks of life.

She regretted, however, that the high cost of production, translation and obtaining copyrights often deter publishers from producing more books.

Cheng hopes to see more books written by local laypeople. At the moment, she said, only a small number of priests and nuns write books, and these focus mainly on homilies and Christian life. She wants laypeople to write on other faith-related topics.

Amelia Kwan Oi-wah, executive secretary of the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity (HKCCCL), told UCA News the Catholic exhibitors offered free gifts to attract visitors to their area. These included four-color pens with Bible verses on love printed on them in Chinese, and luggage tags with the phrase "May God grant you peace" printed in Chinese and English.

HKCCCL, a coalition of 79 lay groups, runs a booth at the fair each year to sell books and distribute religious booklets and pamphlets.

The laywoman says she too is confident about the future of the print medium in evangelization. People may have different needs over time, but the printed text "will never be replaced," she asserted.

Franciscan Father Lionel Goh of Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, a biblical institute and another Catholic exhibitor, admitted that the popularity of electronic media has had some negative effects on print evangelization. But he also asserted that the printed text "has its importance."

The bible scholar told UCA News that sales of print Chinese bibles have been steady over the past years. The Franciscan institute has published the Bible in digital and online versions, he pointed out, "but if people read the Bible at bedtime, I think they would prefer the printed Bible than reading it on the computer."

Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong presides at a prayer with Church workers and volunteers in the Catholic booth.

Peter Leung Shing-kwok, deputy editor-in-chief of Kung Kao Po, the diocesan Chinese-language weekly and an exhibitor, expressed doubt about the future of Catholic books unless more local books are published. "For more than a decade since the Church started promoting evangelization, there have been few local writings," the layman told UCA News.

Claiming that few Catholics have seriously considered the need for local religious literature, he said Catholic publishers should encourage more local authors to produce books and should promote local Chinese religious books more earnestly.

A visitor to the Catholic section surnamed Wong, who is not a Catholic, told UCA News she likes reading Christian books because they help her improve relationships in her family. However, she said there appeared to be fewer Catholic books exhibited this year.

Catholic visitor Hilaria Lai affirmed the importance of literature in evangelization, but said the design of local Catholic books needs improvement.

On the opening day of the fair, Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong presided at a prayer gathering at the Catholic section.

The book fair, the largest event in the local publishing sector, had exhibitors from 21 countries and regions promoting and selling their books and copyrights to readers and publishers.

This year's book fair had a record 830,000 visitors.

END