The SHKP Book Club set up by Sun Hung Kai Properties recommended a number of books on positive living in May and subsequently held a book review competition, which drew over 2,000 entries. The judges are now choosing the winners. SHKP complemented these positive living initiatives with a Live Life with Passion show on July 23 at Grand Century Place in Mong Kok, with artists, writers and HKCEE candidates talking about life and books.

The guests include television celebrities like hearing-impaired Jacqueline Law Wai-kuen, Liu Kai-chi whose son is battling leukaemia and singer and HKCEE candidate kellyjackie. There were also people like pioneering Hong Kong blind female author Christina Wong Ming-yan, former HKCEE washout-turned PhD Matthew Lui Yu-chun, creative writer Vincent Wong Pak-hong, young authors Pro Wong Shu-hoi and Sandy So Sui-man and other HKCEE candidates. They have all had their lives changed for the better by writing and reading.

Becoming a writer despite blindness

Christina Wong Ming-yan was an average girl until she got German measles at age of eight and went permanently blind. She has lived in darkness since then, but being blind made her determined to learn, finding a world of colour in books. She said: "Even though I cant see, I can read books and visualize the things in the world like snow, clouds and birds in my mind. This way I can remember the colourful world I once saw."

She said that writing gave her new life and freed her imagination, and being an author is her calling in life: "It is more difficult for me than other writers, but I never gave up and never will. Instead I feel a need to move forward, hoping my writing will encourage others."

Another guest, Jacqueline Law Wai-kuen, is fully deaf in one ear and 80% deaf in the other, but she still hosts television shows. She said: "I never gave up. I read a book called Gift, which said that people should treasure their life as God's gift and live happily the way they are. I think we should be happy with what we have and be brave, even if we are less fortunate than others."

New start for student who once failed all his HKCEEs

Writer Matthew Lui Yu-chun came from a broken family, he got into trouble during his school years, joining a triad and failing all his HKCEEs. Lui now has a PhD and is a popular secondary school teacher. He said it took a lot of determination to come back from the lowest point in his life: "When I failed all my HKCEEs the first time around, I realized I couldnt go on like that or I would end up a loser. I started reading in the hope knowledge would change my life. My book is about my past, and I hope it will help put bad boys and girls back on the right track and give them hope in life."

Vincent Wong Pak-hong sat the HKCEEs the same year as Lui, but has a different story. He graduated from Cambridge University in England with an MBA, and then he worked in government as an Administrative Officer. Both have some things in common V in particular they never give up on their goals and are interested in books. Wong said: "I like to learn from other people's experience by reading their books. I like to stay a step ahead of others, and I started to have interest in books on difficult issues like relativism when I was young. I hope the knowledge I gain from reading can help me think about critical issues."

Father tending to his ill son

Television celebrity Liu kai-chi was also one of the guests at the show. His five-year-old son has leukaemia and is fighting for his life. Lius wish is for his son to be cured, but despite facing one of the worst things in life, Liu lives with optimism. He said that he sometimes reads books on positive living for inspiration.