“Reading the World: Food Culture. Future Living.”
— Hong Kong Book Fair 2025
ARPress has been actively participating in some of the world’s most prominent international book fairs, from the Bologna Book Fair and the London Book Fair to events in Miami, Beijing, and Sharjah. We’re excited to share that our journey doesn’t stop there. Our latest step forward: participation in the 35th Hong Kong Book Fair 2025. This expansion brings even more opportunities to connect with readers, authors, and publishers on a truly global scale, and we’re just getting started.
The 2025 Hong Kong Book Fair took place from July 16–22 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This year’s theme, “Food Culture · Future Living,” served up a rich menu of tastily themed programming. Culinary literature from around the world was showcased, offering insights into food’s role in traditions, health habits, and even the future of dining through tech innovations. The World of Art & Culture zone elevated the experience, blending interactive art, dynamic videos, music, and literary commentary. Eight artists and several embassy installations illustrated how a dining table can be a cultural microcosm.
One highlight was the collaboration with Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, which brought a “Macao Craft Market” to the fair. Around 40 creative brands presented handmade crafts, fashion, and lifestyle pieces that reflect Macao’s unique local identity. Mainland China also had a strong showing, with over 40 publishers and nearly 20,000 titles, including a spotlight on Sichuan’s cultural offerings.
Beyond browsing shelves, visitors immersed themselves in interactive experiences: AR photo booths, needlework demonstrations (such as Sichuan embroidery), panda-themed installations, and a civic education exhibition featuring Cantonese opera, ballet, game booths, and photo corners aimed at promoting awareness.
Book signings and author talks drew enthusiastic crowds. Fans queued to meet popular voices such as Ghost Writer (孤泣) and more. Seminars covered a wide range of topics, featuring international voices like Rie Qudan, Lindsay Varty, and Osamu Okamura, alongside local and regional authors. The fair hosted eight themed lecture series, including future living, local history, youth reading, and mindfulness.
To commemorate its 35th edition, the fair introduced several clever ticketing promotions: free admission for visitors born in 1990, special packages allowing five people to enter for the price of three, and limited-edition tote bags and gifts for shoppers who spent over HK$500. The fair didn’t just showcase books it offered an immersive cultural feast, blending reading, dining, art, craft, tech, and performance. It was a testament to how a book fair can go beyond the printed page, feeding the mind, the heart, and yes, even future appetites.
Michael P. Closs is a retired professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is also a Catholic deacon who has served in both Canada and Mexico. Closs’s work is thoroughly researched and carefully crafted. He opens with background on the Gospel of Mark, which likely drew primarily from the Protoevangelium, especially in relation to the Messianic Secret. After this introduction, Closs presents the Protoevangelium itself, based on Mary’s testimony regarding her birth, childhood, Immaculate Conception, and the birth of Jesus. The full text is included, with footnotes for each verse providing historical context, biblical parallels between Mary’s story and Old Testament figures, semantic insights, and interpretations of key events.
“The Book of Mary” by Michael P. Closs takes a fresh, critical look at the Protevangelium of James, one of the earliest texts detailing the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Closs meticulously analyzes historical manuscripts, including Syriac and Greek sources, to explore how this ancient work influenced early Christian beliefs and shaped traditions about Mary’s life, from her miraculous birth to her role in the story of Jesus.
Beyond textual analysis, “The Book of Mary” delves into the broader historical and cultural context in which these writings emerged. Closs examines the role of women in early Christianity, the influence of Jewish traditions on Marian narratives, and how later theologians built upon these foundational stories. He presents a balanced approach, acknowledging both the strengths and the limitations of historical interpretations while inviting readers to consider the Protevangelium as more than just legend—it is a window into the spiritual mindset of the earliest followers of Jesus.
Just recently, “The Book of Mary” by Michael P. Closs was showcased at the 2025 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 2025 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, held from June 26–30 in Philadelphia, was a powerful, high-energy gathering of over 14,000 librarians, educators, authors, and exhibitors from around the world. Taking place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the event pulsed with a sense of urgency and purpose.
“The Book of Mary” by Michael P. Closs was also featured at the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF). The 31st edition of the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), held from June 18 to 22, 2025, unfolded as a vibrant tapestry of literary innovation, cultural exchange, and academic collaboration. Hosted at the China National Convention Center, this year’s fair showcased over 400,000 titles and introduced groundbreaking initiatives that highlighted the evolving landscape of global publishing.
In partnership with ARPress, Michael P. Closs, author of “The Book of Mary,” held a successful book signing event during the 2025 Los Angeles Festival of Books (LATFOB) at the University of Southern California. This was a significant cultural event that brought together a diverse array of participants and marked its 30th anniversary with a vibrant celebration of literature, culture, and community. The festival is known for attracting a large crowd each year. For instance, the 2024 festival drew over 150,000 attendees, and the 2025 event featured more than 550 writers, experts, and storytellers, along with hundreds of exhibitors.
The Book Trailer of “The Book of Mary” by Michael P. Closs was featured at the 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB). Unveiled during a multimedia session spotlighting emerging and independent authors, the trailer played to a crowd of curious festivalgoers gathered in one of the festival’s booths. With subtle cinematic flair and a contemplative tone, the trailer gave audiences a visual and emotional introduction to the story’s deeply evocative work. While brief, the video presentation left a lasting impression. Watch the book trailer here at https://youtu.be/sCg8cQabTps.
The US Review of Books (USRB) recommends The Book of Mary: A Commentary on the Protoevangelium of James, Second Edition by Michael P. Closs. Here’s a review from the USRB that highlights:
“This is a thorough, insightful, and diligent commentary on an ancient text that is not widely known yet forms the basis of the Gospel stories Christians are intimately familiar with. Closs gently encourages readers to think critically about the stories they may have taken for granted, to ‘insert ourselves into the narrative,’ as he states at one point. He shows great compassion for the historical figures, noting, for example, that the Immaculate Conception of Mary ‘would be a nightmare for any woman, to find herself pregnant and not know how it happened. The entire scene is very spiritually painful to both Joseph and Mary.’ He provides bold critiques of other scholars but offers sufficient evidence to back up his conclusions. He also anticipates criticism of his own positions by preemptively providing solid resources and background for his arguments.