Shenzhen Reading Month, one of the city's premier cultural events, will officially kick off Saturday, with 2,500 activities to be held citywide. It was announced by the Shenzhen Municipal Government Information Office during a press conference yesterday.
An opening ceremony will be held at the Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District, the event's main venue, Saturday morning. There will be 11 subvenues for the event across the city, according to the conference.
A highlight of this year's event is the classic poetry reading session, where renowned authors like Liang Xiaosheng, Li Jingze, and Qiao Ye will lead discussions on cultivating a reading culture and advancing cultural development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.To commemorate these milestones, the event will host a special series celebrating China-France relations. Fabrice Piault, former editor-in-chief of Le Magazine Littéraire, will lead a China-France literary dialogue alongside a cultural and arts exchange exhibition.
The Shenzhen Library will also collaborate with the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau and various public and university libraries to introduce a Shenzhen-Macao joint reading initiative.
"Activities will include a literature exhibition marking Macao's 25th anniversary of return, a photography exhibition, and a debate series for university students from Shenzhen and Macao," stated Zhang Yan, director of the Shenzhen Library.
Qiu Gang, director of the Shenzhen Publishing Group, announced that this year's event will run concurrently with the 2024 South China Book Festival and the 6th Shenzhen Book Fair, scheduled for Nov. 15-18.
The book fair will feature a main venue at the Shenzhen Book City CBD store and six subvenues in Luohu, Nanshan, Bao'an, Longgang, Longhua, and Guangming districts.
"This year's event will deliver a dynamic, youth-centered, and lifestyle-driven cultural experience, with over 500 publishers from across China offering discounts on more than 400,000 titles," Qiu shared.
Discounts at the main venue will reach as much as 72% off, with additional coupons available for readers.