Release your inner literati with 30 furry companions
by Avery Tsui
Get away from busy city life for a day of reading with a cuddly companion. Sam Kee Bookstore in North Point has been around for 38 years, and it’s also a shelter for more than 30 homeless cats.
The cats are everywhere – napping on a stack of books or in a customer’s lap.
The books are nice too. Caroline Chan, the owner, recalls helping a customer find a 40-year-old copy of Reader’s Digest. There are other historic books that you won’t find in chain bookstores. Chan says many customers spend hours in the shop looking for the right one.
Rent has been going up in many parts of Hong Kong, and Sam Kee is no exception. The rent in 2014 was double what it was before. Chan admits that Sam Kee is under financial pressure, but she will continue to run the bookstore as best she can. She says the value of sharing books and ideas is more important to her than being profitable.
If you want to spend an afternoon with cats and books, visit Sam Kee at King’s Centre basement 19, 193 King’s Rd, North Point.
Edited by Kate Kim
