Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) believes that knowledge is our future, so it set up the SHKP Book Club as a vehicle to promote art and reading in Hong Kong. It is working with St. James' Settlement and Roundtable Community in a latest reading initiative, which will see a group of celebrated figures in the art and cultural arenas leading underprivileged children on outdoor reading tours at various interesting locations. This innovative idea will let the children experience the fun of reading and understanding the characteristics of the local neighborhood. Free books and book coupons are also part of the programme.

In July this year, the Book Club arranged for 700 underprivileged children to visit the book fair and subsidized them buying their favourite books. It follows on the momentum and kicks off a series of reading activities to benefit underprivileged children. Among the first group of 200 children who will be arranged on a guided reading tour at the City Art Square will be primary 4 to 6 students living in Tin Shui Wai, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Sheung Shui and Kowloon City. They will be able to appreciate the artwork at the plaza crafted by international masters while joining famous artists in reading and buying their favourite titles in the bookstore at New Town Plaza on SHKP's subsidies.

SHKP Executive Director Michael Wong, Roundtable Community founding chairman Dr. Simon Shen, St James' Settlement Chief Executive Officer Michael Lai and participating children, parents and volunteers attended the kick-off ceremony in City Art Square today.

SHKP Executive Director Michael Wong said: "I am happy to be with a group of motivated children today, and I see many of them will become Hong Kong's future leaders. We would like to let you know the importance of knowledge at early age and help you broaden your horizons with our latest reading programme held in collaboration with Roundtable Community and St James' Settlement. Some 200 children will benefit from the reading tours at this artistic open space. They will be able to learn from the tutors in art appreciation and experience a different kind of reading fun outside schools."

Five experienced artists will escort the children during the visits at City Art Square teaching them on public art appreciation and leading them in reading and playing different inspiring games on creativity. Apart from having chances to see the art installations by world masters, the children will realize the importance of reading, which gives them new knowledge and trains their creativity. It is hoped that the children can learn to merge knowledge with art and that they will understand that reading has no boundaries.

The guided tour will start with the artists teaching the children to appreciate the international art works from five points of view, namely, harmony, space, appearance, lines and visual. After that, the artists will recommend good books as a further inspiration. Last will be a series of art creativity activities like drawing, poem writing and paper cutting, to let the children practice what is learnt.

The five artists are Eastman Cheng, winner of Exhibition of Sovereign Annual Contemporary Asian Art Competition; Marc Leung, finalist of Leisure and Cultural services Department's Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme; Chan Sai-lok, winner of Ting Yen Yung Memorial Artistic Achievement Award, Cultural Corner Art Academy Fine Art Award (Chinese printing)  and first-runner up of senior category of prose writing at 30th Youth Literary award; Siu Kam-han, second-runner up of the creativity competition 2007 of Hong Kong Tea Museum; Wen Yau, organizer of various art exhibitions and currently a researcher at Asia Art Archive, whose videos have been shown in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Phillipines and Republic of Bolivia.

About the organizers

Since is inception in 2005, the SHKP Book Club has been staging diverse reading-related activities including sponsoring 700 underprivileged children in visiting last year's book fair, helping young writers print their first books, publish the free literary magazine recommending good books and four book review competitions.

Roundtable Cultural Collective

Roundtable Cultural Collective is under the Roundtable Community, which is a public exchange channel on general art and culture. It promotes art and cultures via writing and seminars plus using diverse media, while trying to foster art researches and discussion among young generations.

St James' Settlement

St James' Settlement was founded in 1949 as a non-profit making social organization providing diverse services. It aims to offer quality services to people in need while helping them set up cooperatives for a harmonious neighbourhood. It provides over 100 services for infants, teenagers, youth at work, families, mentally handicapped, retired people and needy elders.