10,000 Hong Kong Fans Plead With J.K. Rowling to Visit

Posted on November 9, 2005

10,000 avid Hong Kong Harry Potter fans have signed a petition begging J.K. Rowling to visit Hong Kong and do a reading.

The appeal from pupils at schools across the city was sent through the organisers of the Hong Kong Book Festival that starts Nov 19, the South China Morning Post reported.
Festival director Peter Lam told the newspaper: "Harry Potter books - both the English edition and the Chinese translation - have sold very well in Hong Kong. "Rowling has never been to Asia. We are inviting her to come to the book fair through the British Council."
The invitation and the petition was sent two months ago through the British Council and the organisers of the festival, which runs until Nov 27, were waiting for a reply, the newspaper said.

We have to wonder if one of the reasons Ms. Rowling has never been to Asia has something to do with the blatant disregard for copyrights in some Asian countries. Bootleg copies of Harry Potter are legion in China: they are terrible translations that don't bear much resemblance to the originals. Or, maybe she's just been busy and will get to Asia for the next book. We think she should go...after all, who wants to disappoint 10,000 fans?