HONG KONG – There's great news for young book-lovers. Plans have emerged for a first Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival (YRF). It's scheduled for March 5-18 next year.

Eoin Colfer, an Irish author best known for the Artemis Fowl series, will headline the new event in its first year. The YRF spins off from the decade-old Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF), planned next for October 5-14, 2012.

Founded in 2001, the HKILF has hosted many literary greats, among them John Banville, Anne Enright, Yann Martel and Amy Tan. It has served both adults and children. One integral component has been a growing schools program.

Festival co-chairmen Gabriela Kennedy and Christine Van explain the reasoning for establishing a separate festival for children: “Increasingly, the festival has been encouraged to take on a more educational role, to instill a love of reading and to assist in raising fluency and competency in English among Hong Kong's young generation. We feel the time has come for a dedicated children's festival that will better meet the needs of our young friends.”

Lynn Yau, chief executive of the Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection, has been named as a schools-program advisor to the new festival. Along with talks by authors, it will offer workshops for teachers and students, including a mentorship program with visiting festival writers.

Arrival of the new festival means that the HKILF, the main event, now focused on adults and young adults, moves permanently to October. 

Just as there can't be too many good books, neither is it possible to devote too much attention to them, their authors and readers. The more literary festivals organized to please different readers, the better.

For more information, visit the new English/Chinese Website: www.youngreadersfestival.org.hk.

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