Hong Kong's literary squeeze.
Hong Kong independent bookshops close after police raids, signaling cultural squeeze.
Anonymous
Key Points
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Police raids on Greenfield Book Store and Have A Nice Stay resulted in five arrests: two staff at Greenfield and three staff at Have A Nice Stay.
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Greenfield Book Store has operated since 1976, is located on Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok, and previously had a branch at the Mong Kok service centre of the HKPTU, which dissolved in 2021.
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Elmbook and Luck Win Bookshop were barred from participating in the annual Hong Kong Book Fair, with state-backed media Wen Wei Po accusing them of selling titles promoting Hong Kong independence.
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Greenfield is described as the third independent bookstore to announce closure in the same month.
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Have A Nice Stay is run by former journalists, and its closure was announced following the raids and ongoing pressure on independent bookstores.
Two of Hong Kong's independent bookshops are closing after police raids tied to a national security crackdown on alleged seditious material. Greenfield Book Store, which has operated for nearly 50 years, and Have A Nice Stay, run by former journalists, both announced closure following raids this month that resulted in five arrests, according to RFI.
The shutdowns mark a sharp narrowing of Hong Kong's independent literary scene. Greenfield is described as the third independent bookstore to announce closure in the same month, Yahoo News reported.
Raids, Arrests, and Two Shops Forced to Close
National security police raided both shops this month. Officers arrested two staff members at Greenfield and three at Have A Nice Stay, all on suspicion of displaying and selling items with seditious intent, according to Yahoo News. The raids fell under Hong Kong's homegrown national security law and post-2019 security measures.
Greenfield, located on Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok, said it will close when its current lease ends. Have A Nice Stay announced an immediate or near-term shutdown. RFI noted that Have A Nice Stay was run by former journalists, adding weight to concerns about press and cultural freedom in the city.
A 50-Year-Old Shop Among the Latest Casualties
Greenfield Book Store first opened in 1976, making it one of Hong Kong's longest-running independent bookshops. It previously ran a branch at the Mong Kok service centre of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, which dissolved in 2021 under government pressure, Yahoo News reported.
The closure of a shop with nearly five decades of history signals how far the crackdown has reached. Independent bookstores have long served as gathering points for political and cultural ideas in Hong Kong. Their disappearance removes one of the few remaining spaces for that kind of expression.
Book Fair Bans and State Media Pressure on Remaining Shops
The raids are not the only pressure on independent booksellers. Elmbook and Luck Win Bookshop were both barred from the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. State-backed outlet Wen Wei Po accused them of selling titles that promote Hong Kong independence, according to Head Topics.
The book fair ban effectively cuts off a key sales event for small shops. It also sends a warning to others. The crackdown is part of a pattern that has steadily reduced the number of independent literary spaces across the city since 2019.
Government Warns Booksellers: National Security Comes First
Security chief Chris Tang made the government's position clear. He said booksellers must ensure their offerings do not threaten national security, according to RFI. The statement leaves little room for ambiguity about what authorities expect from those who sell books in Hong Kong.
Critics say the vague definition of "seditious" material makes it nearly impossible for small shops to know which titles are safe to stock. With five arrests, two closures, and two book fair bans all in the same period, the message to Hong Kong's remaining independent bookstores is stark.
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