1972
Mohan Mirchandani, at just 28 years of age, bids farewell to his pregnant wife Nisha and boards a plane from India to Hong Kong. He promises her a better future and despite having only fifty dollars in his pocket, it is a promise he intends to keep.
1980
Mohan starts Far East Media (HK) Ltd. Like his uncle and siblings, he loves the smell of a new book and believes that books are an essential part of life. FEML quickly becomes one of Hong Kong's largest distribution companies.
1985
Mohan and wife Nisha Mirchandani –who has since moved to Hong Kong - launch Bookazine together. The first Bookazine shop opens in Hopewell Centre. The Hopewell Centre is Hong Kong's tallest building at the time.
1986
Bookazine opens a second location in Prince's Building. Today, Prince's Building continues to house some of the most prestigious luxury brands in Hong Kong.
1986
AIEEYAAA! the best-selling collection of cartoons by American cartoonist Larry Feign, best known for his comic strip "The World of Lily Wong" is officially launched with a book signing event at Bookazine in Prince's Building, greeted by lines of people queuing out into the corridors.
1991
Jim Davis, the creator of the comic strip character Garfield, visits Bookazine and meets with over 1,000 fans in Hong Kong.
1997
The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China at midnight on 1st of July.
1998
Bookazine expands its presence by opening a new store in Alexandra House.
1998
Bookazine launches its official Bookazine Mascot.
1999
Bookazine launched Dimsum, which would become the pre-eminent literary journal in Asia for many years, with exclusive writings from winners and nominees of the Booker Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1999
A brand new Bookazine shop opens its doors in the iconic Peak Tower. The first Peak Tower was designed by Hong Kong architect Chung Wah Nan and opened to the public on 29 August 1972.
2002 February
Daughters Arti and Shonee join the family business. Arti was born in Hong Kong and studied Art at the Royal Melbourne University of Technology before joining Bookazine. Shonee read law at the University of London and got her MBA from the University of Durham. Both sisters are deeply rooted in Hong Kong having grown up and gone to school here and very much a part of the business community.
2003 March
Months after the sisters join the company, the World Health Organization issued a global alert against a nameless "severe form of unknown pneumonia" sweeping several parts of Asia and elsewhere. Hong Kong was among the places hit hard by Sars.
2003 October 8th
Founder Mohan Mirchandani sadly passes away. Daughters Shonee and Arti promise to honour the memory of the man who established their family’s success, one book at a time, by ensuring that his legacy and the impact of his work at Bookazine lives on.
2004
Bookazine expands its reach by partnering with Starbucks to provide magazines to every location across Hong Kong
2005
Bookazine embraces the digital age and launches its very first Electronic Direct Mail to customers.
2005 November
Ex-governor Chris Patten returns to Hong Kong to plug his book “Not Quite the Diplomat” and does a 'morning tea' chat at the Prince's Building's Bookazine.
2006
Bookazine unveils its brand new, updated logo that you will recognise today. The new logo captures the essence of Bookazine as the colours blue and orange represent a balance between the calming environment of a bookstore and the exciting worlds that books open up. The ampersand (&) is there to symbolize connection and community, bringing ideas and people together.
2007
Bookazine launches their very own in-house magazine about books, Reading Matters.
2007
Anne Enright, a Dubliner known for her works exploring the darker elements of the human condition, wins the prestigious 2007 Man Booker prize for her novel "The Gathering". She signs her books at Bookazine.
2007 July
The final instalment in the wildly popular series of Harry Potter by author J.K Rowling releases in Hong Kong and the rest of the world on July 15th. Bookazine celebrates with a “Witches, Wizards and Muggles Party” at Prince’s Building shop at 7 am for the launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
2008 March
Bookazine hosts a buffet lunch with Lord Jeffrey Archer at the China Club. It was a chance to hear Lord Archer tell his tales of his just-released novel ‘A Prisoner of Birth’ in Hong Kong.
2008 October
Meg Cabot, Author of The Princess Diaries, flies to Hong Kong and joins for a lunch event at Bookazine, saying: “Honestly, I can’t believe I was even in Hong Kong. I’m just a small-town girl from Indiana. What was I doing in Hong Kong?”
2009
Bookazine exhibits for the first time at the Hong Kong Book Fair held from 22-28 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
2009
Bookazine makes a significant leap into the digital realm, launching its online store platform www.bookazine.com.hk. This exciting move allows customers to browse and shop for books from the comfort of their very own homes.
2010
Bookazine takes another step forward in the world of social media by establishing its official Facebook account.
2010
Room to Read founder, John Wood, comes to Bookazine to talk about his new book, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World”.
2010
Bookazine stores undergo a complete redesign, starting with Prince’s Building.
2011
Bookazine teams up with British artist and illustrator Lorette Roberts to design Bookazine’s very first Gift Cards.
2012
Bookazine partners with KidsFest. KidsFest is an exciting Festival for the whole family. Characters from well-loved books are brought to life and the stories presented vividly on stage. KidsFest becomes a key event on Hong Kong’s calendar of cultural events.
2012
Bookazine once again exhibits at the Hong Kong Book Fair, featuring a special meet-and-greet with the beloved character, the Gruffalo, for fans to enjoy.
2012
Bookazine partners with the HK Young Writers Awards to support emerging talent in literature.
2013
Book Signing with British thrill master Frederick Forsyth is held a Bookazine.
2013
Bookazine launches its very first pop-up Christmas Store at Lyndhurst Terrace.
2013
Shonee M Mirchandani, Managing Partner, Far East Media, is awarded “Woman Super Achiever in Retail Award” by the ASIA RETAIL CONGRESS, Asia's single most important global platform to promote world-class retail practices.
2013 April
Over 80 guests gathered to celebrate the launch of Clifton’s new book “INSIDE OUT – Celebrating 15 Years of Retail Design” on April 25, 2013. With the generous support of VIP clients and business affiliates, the event successfully raised HK$88,000 for Room to Read to establish two libraries in Asia, in the fight against illiteracy and poverty.
2013 August
Cassandra Clare, the author of The Mortal Instruments series, together with Godfrey Gao(高以翔) and Jamie Campbell Bower, stars from the movie adaptation, attended the book signing at Bookazine Prince’s Building.
2013 October
Basil Pao’s photo exhibition “Around the World in 8,000 Days: Travels with Michael Palin, Photograph by Basil Pao brings World Traveller extraordinaire Michael Palin’s travels alive, with a book signing event at Bookazine Exchange Square.
2013 November
Bookazine joined in the effort to break the Guinness World Records of Longest paper-doll chain, adding to the 32,775 paper-dolls.
2013 December
Susan Jung, long-time food and wine editor of the South China Morning Post, launches her new cookbook, A Celebration of Food. For the book, Jung, compiled 60 of her recipes that have appeared in Post Magazine over the years, and added 20 recipes by chefs at some of her favourite restaurants in the city.
2014
Michel Roux, OBE, also known as Michel Roux Snr., a French chef, who owned the 2-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn in London, attends a book signing in Bookazine in 2014.
2015
Bookazine turns 30, launches advertising campaign to celebrate this milestone shooting photos and videos in Sir David Tang’s amazing house, Kim Robinson’s chic new salon, Dr Allan Zeman’s very exclusive office and more...
2015
Arti Mirchandani opens Partytime, after struggling with organizing her daughter’s Birthday party while working full-time and being a single mum. Partytime is a new store concept with everything you need to organize an unforgettable party at any budget!
2015
Alistair Campbell, who served as Downing Street press secretary and then director of communications and strategy for the Labour Party’s arguably most successful prime minister of all time (Blair is the only Labour leader to have won three consecutive general elections)– flies into Hong Kong and stops by Bookazine to publicise his latest book, Winners: And How They Succeed.
2015
Kevin Kwan, the author of “Crazy Rich Asians”, visits Bookazine for an exciting book launch event.
2015
Bookazine announces that its shop on Queen’s Road will be closing. The owners clarify that the closure is due to complications with the building, and that there is still a huge demand for books in Hong Kong and that they have already opened a shop nearby on 46 Lyndhurst Terrace.
2015
Bookazine opens its first location on the South Side, in Repulse Bay, and a brand-new store in Pacific Place.
2015 April
Bookazine held a Spring Hat Parade at Discovery Bay to celebrate spring! Kids got to design their hat with bows, flowers, and take part in a Spring Hat Parade.
2015 April
Terry O’Neil, CBE, one of the most collected photographers of all time, who has photographed the frontline of fame, from top actors, singers, members of the British Royal family, to Presidents for over 5 decades, has a book signing in Bookazine, Prince’s Building.
2016
Sir David Tang, the bon vivant, luxury goods entrepreneur, and Financial Times columnist, stops by Bookazine for his book launch and signing “An Evening with Sir David Tang”.
2016
Janice Y.K. Lee, quite likely the finest novelist to emerge from Hong Kong in the past few decades with her 2009 first bestselling novel, The Piano Teacher and with her second novel, The Expatriates comes to Bookazine for a book signing.
2016
Robin Sharma, considered to be one of the top leadership experts in the world with his work embraced by rock stars, royalty, billionaires and celebrity CEOs signs copies of his bestselling books at Bookazine.
2016
Bookazine organizes fundraising efforts to establish a Room to Read Library in Nepal.
2016
The very first Bookfest event takes place at the Repulse Bay –The South-Side location buzzed with sounds of happy children engaged in reading, colouring, storytelling, treasure hunts and meeting characters from the Gruffalo and Geronimo.
2016 May
A brand new Bookazine store officially opens its doors in Prince’s Building, hosting a Grand Opening party to mark the occasion.
2016 November
After running a store in DB North Plaza for more than two years, Bookazine takes on a larger space in the main plaza. And for the first time, Bookazine has a shop-in-shop for party supplies from its sister company Partytime. To celebrate the new shop, Bookazine hosted Hong Kong’s first ever “sleepover” in a bookstore. This featured two hours of games and storytelling, with wine, milk and cupcakes being served.
2016 November
Bookazine hosts the “Roalddahilicious” Party at exclusive private club Maggie & Rose in Repulse Bay.
2017
The Canadian Club Hong Kong and Bookazine jointly host the Book signing with of Madeliene Thien, Man Booker Prize 2016 shortlisted author.
2017
Bookazine hosts a book signing with Mr Justice Bokhary. Delighted fans who just purchased one of his acclaimed publications at the book signing event all rush to take photos with the judge. Mr Justice Bokhary’s publications continue to serve as valuable resources for those interested in the law and justice system in Hong Kong.
2017
Bookazine is proudly appointed as the official bookshop at the Hong Kong Literary Festival from the 3rd to the 12th of November 2017. Bookazine remains the proud official bookseller until today.
2017
Sweet World Hong Kong, a brand-new confectionery store concept is born. Through their travels, sisters Arti and Shonee discovered craft chocolate, and loved it. This was something that wasn’t happening in Hong Kong, just like with the craft beer movement and good wine. That’s how the idea of Sweet World was born. One year after the first store opened in Prince’s Building in Central, a second one has opened in Pacific Place.
2017
Shonee & Arti Mirchandani awarded the Women of Influence Entrepreneur Award for “Entrepreneur of the year” by the American Chamber of Commerce.
2018
Author Andy Griffiths comes to not one -but two- Bookazine stores: Times Square and Exchange Square for his book signing event.
2018 March
Bookazine opens it’s very first store on Kowloon side in Festival Walk Shopping Mall. Located in Kowloon Tong at a major interchange of MTR lines and bus routes, Festival Walk is easily accessible from all areas of Hong Kong and offers the convenience of over 800 parking spaces for shoppers arriving by car.
2018
Shonee & Arti are both awarded Inside Retail Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders in Hong Kong Award.
2019
Book Launch of Weijian Shan at Bookazine, a Chinese economist, businessman and author of the memoir "Out of the Gobi", recounting his experience during the Cultural Revolution.
2019 June
Bookazine closes the shop at Festival Walk for the very first time for 3 weeks due to the ongoing protests.
2019 July - August
Bookazine launches its first-ever charity book sale in Hong Kong, with up to 70% off books. All proceeds go towards Room to Read. Donation boxes are made available in the stores.
2020/2021
Hong Kong is one of few countries and territories to pursue a "zero-COVID". Bookazine adapts to help deliver quarantine bundles to travellers in quarantine.
2020 October
Bookazine branches out to open its very first BooKIDzine store in IFC Mall, right next to Bookazine. With hundreds of toys, games and activity kits to choose from, the brand-new Book!dzine store is toy heaven for Hong Kong children!
2021
Bookazine is named Reader’s Choice Awards 2021 Gold Winner for Best Books & Toys Store in Hong Kong.
2021
Bookazine launches the first Book Subscription by special request followed by Bookspoke. Bookspoke is a new book subscription service and upon signing up, you receive a new book every month curated by the Bookazine book experts handpicked especially for you.
2021 July
Bookazine teams up with talented Sophia Hotung to create gift cards for bookwormy Hong Kongers. Sophia is very excited for this collab as she has been hitting up Bookazine since she was a kid.
2021 December- 2022 March
The Fifth Omicron Wave hits Hong Kong.
2023
The Bookazine’s website www.bookazine.com.hk get a fresh makeover.
2023 Post Covid
Bookazine faces a lot of challenges, but being a small, family-run business, they adapt and change quickly with the times.
2023 March
Hong Kong axes Covid-19 mask mandate from March 1st after over 2.5 years.
2023 September
Kadoorie Farm comes buzzing into Bookazine Festival Walk! And we welcomed the astonishing Giant Prickly Stick Insect and the majestic Stag Beetle (Dorcus Hopei), along with their knowledgeable keepers.
2024
Bookazine awarded the Readers' Choice Awards 2024 Best in Category Books & Kids’ Toys Gold award.
2024 June
Bookazine Social launches at renowned Tai Kwun, the former Central Police Station. The historic site, recognised as a cultural heritage area, includes three significant structures: the former Central Police Station, the old Central Magistracy and the Victoria Prison. Bookazine Social features a dedicated workshop space aimed at fostering community connections and encourage individuals to come together, share ideas and ignite creativity through collaboration.
2024 July
An evening with Sarah Jane Ho takes place in Centricity in the Literary Lounge.
2024 August
Bookazine transitions to a new points-based membership scheme B+ Rewards Loyalty Program. Under the new rewards program, members earn 1 B+ Reward Point for every HK$1 spent both in-store and online.
2024 August
Book Signing with Professor Kishore Mahbubani in Bookazine Tai Kwun-Prominent Singaporean diplomat and academic, known for his insights into global affairs and international relations. Prof Mahbubani’s launches his latest book titled Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir at Bookazine Tai Kwun.
2024 August/October
Bookazine launches summer party and Halloween parties in Repulse Bay filled with games, prizes, treasure hunts, singing and dancing, storytelling and booths.
2024 September
Book launch of “Corporate Identities” with Henry Steiner –otherwise known as the “Father of Hong Kong Graphic design” in Bookazine Prince’s Building.
2024 October
Greg Morley- who has spearheaded DEI programs for LVMH and other multinational leaders like Disney, Hasbro and General Electric recently publishes a book, Bond: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection and launches his book at Bookazine Social in Tai Kwun.
2025
Bookazine awarded the Readers' Choice Awards 2025 Best in Category Books & Kids’ Toys.
2025
New Shop is set to reopen at Repulse Bay the Arcade summer of ‘25.
2025 April
Bookazine celebrates its 40th anniversary. Four amazing decades igniting curiosity and spreading the magic of books in Hong Kong. We are grateful for each and every one of you who has walked through our doors, THANK YOU for being part of Bookazine's story.
