Book Punch

Book Punch
FoundedOctober 1, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-10-01)
FounderPong Yat-ming
Headquarters3/F, 169-171 Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po,
Hong Kong

Book Punch (Chinese: 一拳書館) is an independent book store in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong.[1] The bookstore's name was inspired by the Japanese manga One-Punch Man.[2] Founded by Pong Yat-ming on 10 September 2020,[3]: 67  its motto is "一拳驚醒讀書人", meaning "one punch to awaken readers", with the aim of using books to help the public realize that reading is not merely an activity for literary scholars and intellectuals.[3]: 58 

History

The founder of Book Punch, Pong Yat-ming, studied film in his early years. After graduation, he worked in education before moving into social work. He previously launched the "One Year Without Supporting Major Property Developers" campaign, using consumer action to oppose the dominance of large developers in various aspects of daily life. In 2020, the continued social impact of the 2019 Anti-ELAB movement and the COVID-19 pandemic, together with the removal of certain books from public libraries and major bookstores,[4] revisions to textbook content,[5] and the removal of George Orwell's Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four from some schools in mainland China,[6] led Pang to view these developments as a form of "silent suppression" of social discourse. This experience indirectly motivated him to open a bookstore.[3]: 58–59 

The idea for Book Punch took shape when Pang visited an exhibition at Form Society (合舍) on Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, and noticed a nearby vacant unit for rent. Although the COVID-19 pandemic delayed negotiations, he eventually reached an agreement with the landlord on the lease and rent. Meanwhile, he created an Excel spreadsheet to plan the books he hoped to sell. Despite reaching out to various publishers through his personal network, responses were generally limited, with some publishers not replying. The store also contacted independent publishers in Taiwan and North America, while some self-published authors approached the bookstore to request consignment sales.[3]: 64–65 

After renovations, Pang announced on social media on 10 September 2020, that he would establish Book Punch in Sham Shui Po. The store began a 10-day trial operation on 18 September[7] and officially opened on 1 October 2020.[2]

In January 2021, Book Punch was invited by the C.C. Wu Cultural & Education Foundation Fund (伍集成文化教育基金) to collaborate with a Hong Kong publisher on a one-month "Independent Small Book Fair" at C.C.Wu Building in Wan Chai.[8] In July 2021, the bookstore participated as a bookstall vendor in the "Independent Publishing Mini Book Fair" held at Foo Tak Building, alongside other independent bookstores including jisaam.books and Mount Zero Bookstore.[9][10]

Incidents

On 22 July 2021, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested five members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists for allegedly publishing picture books that "inciting hatred."[11] Between 2020 and 2021, the union had printed three children’s books—Guardians of the Sheep Village, 12 Warriors of the Sheep Village, and Scavengers of the Sheep Village[11][12]—which were distributed at 18 shops, including Book Punch. In June 2021, the bookstore also hosted a parent-child reading session featuring the series. The store manager told the media that the books had been printed in small quantities and had already been fully distributed by the store, while the person in charge was overseas at the time and would not comment further.[13]

On 2 September 2022, Book Punch held a sake-themed reading event, charging participants HK$350 to enjoy sake at the bookstore. Pang Yat-ming was subsequently prosecuted for selling alcoholic beverages without a license and for violating COVID-19-related regulations governing catering businesses, and was fined HK$12,000.[14][15] WKCC864/2023

In April 2025, Book Punch held a Spanish-language interest class that allegedly violated the Education Ordinance.[16] In June, the bookstore also hosted an unlicensed stand-up comedy performance and was charged with operating an unlicensed place of public entertainment.[17] On 10 April, 2026, the bookstore was convicted and was fined HK$32,000.[18]

In March 2026, Pang Yat-ming and three female employees were arrested by the National Security Department for allegedly violating Article 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, concerning the offense of “knowingly selling publications with seditious intent.” The department searched Book Punch the same day and seized a number of books it deemed to have seditious intent, including a biography of Jimmy Lai.[19][20][21]

References

  1. ^ Chan, Irene (26 March 2026). "Indie bookshop founder, staff bailed after national security arrests". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  2. ^ a b 曾鳳婷 (1 October 2020). "疫市開獨立書店 盼一拳驚醒讀書人 奇特分類法助新角度看世界". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 22 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d 周家盈 (2021). 書店有時—社會變遷而萬物皆有定時，冀洪水滔滔中紀念書店為人們帶來的美好。. 香港: 格子盒作室. ISBN 978-988-79670-7-1.
  4. ^ 張嘉敏, 馬煒傑, 梁煥敏 (4 July 2020). "國安法｜公共圖書館下架黃之鋒、陳雲、陳淑莊著作 職員：要覆檢". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 9 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ 林則宏 (18 August 2020). "香港修訂高中教材 刪除公民抗命、特首普選等內容" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021.
  6. ^ 陳文蔚 (13 July 2020). "文革來首見！中國下令清理中小學圖書館 《1984》、《動物農場》遭封殺" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中央廣播電臺. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021.
  7. ^ "龐一鳴大南街開書店　書不打折但會送農產　「一拳書館」下周試業" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Stand News. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  8. ^ 獨媒報導 (15 January 2021). "一拳書館過海PopUp 灣仔吉舖辦書展" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong Inmedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021.
  9. ^ 立場報道 (9 July 2021). "獨立出版迷你書展再開鑼　籲多讀書保志氣" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Stand News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021.
  10. ^ 袁源隆 (14 July 2021). "疫情下兩度延期 一連七日書展終復辦 富德樓另有獨立出版書展" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 明周文化. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b "General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists to be disqualified as trade union". The Standard. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 19 August 2026.
  12. ^ "涉刊印繪本灌輸仇恨　言語治療師總工會3成員獲准保釋" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Oriental Daily News. 24 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021.
  13. ^ "警促家長店舖棄書 印刷商是否違法「看知情否」" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Ming Pao. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021.
  14. ^ "「一拳書館」店主被指無牌賣酒及違反防疫規例 准保釋3.29再訊 -". 法庭線 The Witness (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023.
  15. ^ "一拳書館涉賣酒被票控　店主稱辦文學性質私人活動　判罰12000元" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). HK01. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025.
  16. ^ "「一拳書館」辦西班牙文興趣班　涉違《教育條例》被票控". Ming Pao. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026.
  17. ^ "「一拳書館」涉無牌辦棟篤笑舞台表演　遭食環票控". Ming Pao. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026.
  18. ^ "一拳書館辦西班牙文班被裁違教育條例　判罰3.2萬元". Ming Pao. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  19. ^ "Hong Kong booksellers arrested for allegedly selling seditious books". NPR. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  20. ^ Stevenson, Alexandra (16 July 2026). "Hong Kong Police Raid Independent Bookstores and Arrest 5 People". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  21. ^ Hawkins, Amy (25 March 2026). "Hong Kong bookstore staff arrested for allegedly selling 'seditious' Jimmy Lai biography, broadcaster reports". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 August 2026.

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