Hong Kong’s booksellers and publishers are now under greater threat following the National Security Law enacted in July 2020. It left the publishing industry in a state of panic. Booksellers could violate the law that carry strict punishments for vague offenses such as “separating the country” and “subverting state power. Some comments that it is a “speech crimes”, whether you say it, write it or do it, you face the same consequence, you can be sent to prison.

Raymond Yeung founded his publishing company in 2016, mainly for publishing liberal studies teaching materials. After the Anti-Extradition Law protest in 2019,he started to publish books on social and political topics. The company’s latest publication, “To Freedom,” which included articles about the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill movement, was rejected by seven printing houses. In 2021 Hong Kong Book fair, that is the first book fair since the national security law is enacted, Raymond’s publishing company is the minority publisher who insist to showcase “sensitive” books in the Book. Following in 2022,he was rejected to join the Hong Kong Book fair by the organisers with no reason.

Publishing houses halt projects and self-censor sensitive topic is a new norm. Woody wrote a books about press freedom in Hong Kong after national security law enacted.

The book was planned to publish in Hong Kong, hoping to launch in the 2021 Hong Kong Book Fair. They have already finished the proof-reading and cover design. However, the publisher worried about violating the National Security Land refused to publish it. Woody end up publish his book in Taiwan.

Public libraries in Hong Kong have been quietly removing books from the shelves deemed politically “sensitive” under national security law. Leisure and cultural services department claimed they had removed 72 books from their catalogue with a claim to review their contents, regular readers have spotted many more. The removed books cover a wide range of topics and the backgrounds of the authors also varies. Among the “disappeared” books are written by jailed student leader Joshua Wong, “Next Digital media” founder Jimmy Lai, Occupy Central founder and former law professor Benny Tai ,June Fourth dissident Wang Dan etc. The practice has already having a “chilling effect” on Hong Kong’s once-vibrant publishing industry.