Welcome!
The world is looking at the Asia-Pacific region with new interest. Blacksmith Books publishes non-fiction about Hong Kong, China and the wider region – mostly in the fields of biography, business, culture, current affairs, food, history, photography and travel. And through bookshops in Asia, the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, we present the works of our local and expat authors to a worldwide readership.
From this website, we deliver books all over the world. Delivery within Hong Kong, Macao and other parts of China is free of charge.
Please use the links to explore. And thanks for reading.
Recent publications
What people are saying about our books
“Through Carter’s journey of self-discovery, we end up discovering a little more about ourselves — and a land so vast, so disparate, that 638 pages of photos barely manage to scratch the surface.”
“Tom Carter is an extraordinary photographer whose powerful work captures the heart and soul of the Chinese people.”
“The recipes are clear, with many dishes illustrated with mouth-watering pictures and, best of all, they work. This is a valuable contribution to the Chinese culinary scene.”
“It’s that sense of commonality that makes Street Life Hong Kong by its end a celebration of our city and the spirit of the people who inhabit it.”
“Hui’s story gives us glimpses of a Hong Kong – the opium dens, the pool halls, the nightclubs, the casinos and the girls, girls, girls – not adequately reflected in official histories of the city.”
“Year of Fire Dragons is not only a riveting coming of age story, but also a testament to the distance people will travel for love.”
“Jason Y. Ng is back with a new book of insights after casting his perceptive gaze over the good, bad and ugly side of city life.”
“Hong Kong for Kids is an invaluable resource for helping us design fun, wonderful learning activities for our students all over Hong Kong.”
Recent blog posts and news
Strange Tales of Old Macao: a Paul French book talk
Did Japan try to buy Macao in 1936? Were the men who declared Macao a republic in 1930 revolutionaries or extortionists? Paul French sails across the Pearl River on Friday evening to give a talk at the Livraria Portuguesa (Portuguese Bookshop) in the city's historic central district. The bookshop is at 16-18 Rua de Sao [...]
Murder on the Outlying Islands of Hong Kong! A book talk on January 28th
For the next event at Vibe bookshop -- on Saturday 28th January at 2:30pm -- Patricia O'Sullivan will be discussing real-life Hong Kong murders from a century ago! Women carried out some of these crimes on Hong Kong's outlying islands like Cheung Chau and Lantau, as well as in the city. Patricia will also be [...]
The Blacksmith Books story: a short film
Nine River Films is a Hong Kong-based production company which makes feature films and short documentaries. I was pleased to be interviewed by them about the challenges and pleasures of book publishing. I picked a few of the books we have published over the years and explained what they tell us about Hong Kong's people [...]
Booksigning event, October 12: The Chakrata Incident with Neville Sarony
You are invited to the launch of The Chakrata Incident, 6pm-7pm, Wednesday October 12. Come to Bookazine in Prince's Building, meet multi-talented author Neville Sarony and get your book signed! Neville's military thrillers draw on his own experience as an army officer. What's the new book about? Here's the blurb. Major Max Devlin, poised for [...]
Podcast: Mark Isaac-Williams, The Hong Kong I Knew
Returning to Hong Kong in 1947 after the Japanese occupation, seven-year-old Mark Isaac-Williams had the whole of Kowloon as his playground. Billeted with his family in the once-grand but now dilapidated Peninsula hotel, his life was full of adventure – from the rooftop to the basement, he knew the hotel’s every inch. Roller-skating and horseback [...]