The novel has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 2000, winning a number of awards:

• Winner, American Library Association (ALA) Alex Award
• Winner, Booklist Editor’s Choice for Young Adults
• Winner, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
• Winner, School Library Journal Adult Books for Young Adults
• Winner, Yong Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Best Books for Young Adults

It is also the first time ever that READ@PolyU has selected a common book in the form of a graphic novel. The selection of a graphic novel coincided with the Library’s education and collection effort to build awareness of this oft-overlooked but important literary genre. The resulting collection of graphic novels will enhance the Library’s leisure reading collection and contribute to the programme goals of promoting reading.

The selection process with a campus-wide call for nomination in January, and concluded with the final selection by the READ@PolyU Programme Committee in May.

Learn more at the publisher site

-1 June 2020-  

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 READ@PolyU Writing Contest.

We are delighted to announce the results:

Congratulations to the winners! View the group photo from the Prize Presentation ceremony on 14 March 2019.

Thank you to all the PolyU students who submitted their creative writing to the contest.

Congratulations to the winners!

-11 March 2020-

Recommend a Common Book for 2020 and Win a Prize!

Help us plan ahead for the upcoming READ@PolyU programme, and send us your Common Book nominations for a new year of reading.

READ@PolyU rallies the whole campus to read a common book, and invites all PolyU students to participate in the book chat sessions, book talks, and other fascinating activities designed to enhance the reading experience. What’s more, a free copy of the common book is gifted to PolyU students (on a first come, first served basis) as well as those who pre-register for a Book Chat Group!

The Programme Committee will review all nominations before making the final selection.

To encourage participation, 50 copies of the selected Common Book will be given out in a lucky draw. PolyU students and staff who have submitted a nomination will be automatically enrolled into the lucky draw. Winners will be notified by email during Summer.

Submit your favourite book titles, along with the author’s name, to lbread@polyu.edu.hk by 24 March 2020 (Tuesday). There is no limit to the number of book titles you can submit.

What we look for in a common book:
•     The book will be in English, preferably less than 300 pages
•     It should be engaging for the PolyU community (both faculty and students)
•     It should be accessible, not difficult to read
•     It should appeal to students’ imagination, and should include some elements of exploration of and reflection on multi-cultural issues
•     It should preferably have been adapted for film
•     It should preferably have won international and critical acclaim
•     It should preferably have an electronic version
•     Ideally, the author would be available to visit PolyU

Sample titles suggested by staff and students in 2019:
•     Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson
•     Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Becky Albertalli
•     Artemis Fowl / Eoin Colfer
•     The Giver / Lois Lowry
•     Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi

-17 March 2020-

The deadline for all PolyU students to submit their entries is now EXTENDED to 30 April 2020. Seize this final opportunity!
 
If you have already submitted and wish to enhance your submission, we would be happy to accept a revised version from you before the new deadline. Otherwise, we will keep your current submission.

2019 Writing Contest: A Fictional Memoir of Childhood

What touchstone event occurred in your childhood and that you still remember to this day? Write a 500-word account for the chance to win amazing prizes.

In deference to the 2019 common book and graphic novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, submissions which are accompanied by an original illustration will receive a bonus point.

Eligibility: All PolyU Students
Language: English
Format: 500 words (+/- 50 words) in Word or PDF format
Deadline: 30 April 2020, 11:59 p.m.

Prizes:
•    Champion – Apple Watch Series 5
•    1st Runner Up – Apple iPad
•    2nd Runner Up – Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
•    Honourable Mentions: $500 Eslite Bookshop Coupons

Submit now

-18 October 2019-

2019 Writing Workshop: Writing a Memoir

Event photos

Thursday, 31 October 2019
12:30 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Seminar Room, 3/F Library

•    Get tips on writing a memoir
•    Receive peer and teacher feedback
•    Learn from an experienced writing instructor

Instructor: Ms Shari Lughmani, English Language Centre
Eligibility: All PolyU Students
Language: English

Registration is now closed. Thank you for your interest in the event.

Updated 6 December 2019

-2 October 2019-

Event photos

Each one of us has a story to tell about our home.

But the way we connect with readers at home and abroad varies drastically. For those with whom we share a home, we're all an array of cultural symbols and the ringing hammer of nostalgia. But for those who know little or nothing about our homes, we must adopt new ways of storytelling and step beyond the confines of our comfort zones.

Join us as Jason Li shares his trials and tribulations in telling Asian stories on the international stage, drawing upon his experience in writing and publishing graphic novels from Hong Kong and China. He will highlight the importance of reclaiming the stories of our homes, featuring examples from his own graphic memoir and from his role as an editor at an independent publishing house.

Registration is closed. Thank you for attending our event.

Jason Li is a Hong Kong-based designer, graphic artist and researcher working at the intersection of storytelling, technology and social change. His works have appeared at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian Art Museum, on the BBC, and on the radio in Spain. He also serves as an editor at a publisher of exemplary comics from the US and China, and is a member of an independent publishing collective in Hong Kong. His graphic novel is about growing up in the bygone Hong Kong of the 1960s.

-16 September 2019-

What is a graphic novel? Come and find out!

The Graphic Novel Book Exhibition will propose several answers to that question. Over 200 graphic novels in English--plus a selection of titles in other languages--will be on display and available for borrowing on a first come, first served basis.

• Where: Podium Level, PolyU Library
• When: 16 September to 12 October 2019

The book exhibition is part of the Graphic Novel Initiative, a READ@PolyU project to enhance awareness of the graphic novel genre.

You can also browse the online collection to view available titles.

-9 September 2019-

Join the Read to Know! open online course to continue the discussion on the common book!

A new collaboration between Read to Know! and READ@PolyU, the course will exclusively feature a mini-module on Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood from now until 30 September 2019.

• Watch videos
• Learn new vocabulary
• Have discussions

In October 2019, the full course will become available to help you read more and know more. Use your PolyU NetID / Student Account to access.

Enroll now

-2 September 2019-

Book Pick-Up

Calling all students! Come to the Library to get your FREE copy of the common book, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

Date: 2 – 6 September 2019
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Venue: Podium Floor, PolyU Library

Hurry while supplies last!

Postgraduate and senior-year undergraduates must first register for the Book Chat Group in order to receive a free copy of the book.

Book Chat Group Registration

All PolyU students are invited to join a Book Chat Group.

• Meet up with a small group of students from different backgrounds
• Share your responses to reading in a relaxed, informal setting under the guidance of a Staff Facilitator
• Get recognition on your Co-curricular Achievement Transcript (CAT) if you attend all three meetings!

Registration is closed. Thank you for joining a Book Chat Group.

Learn more

 26 August 2019-

This week, the 2019 common book began to make its way into the hands of PolyU readers.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood is the graphic memoir by Marjane Satrapi detailing her experience growing up in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw incredible societal change. The novel paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life.

The novel has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 2000, winning a number of awards:

• Winner, American Library Association (ALA) Alex Award
• Winner, Booklist Editor’s Choice for Young Adults
• Winner, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
• Winner, School Library Journal Adult Books for Young Adults
• Winner, Yong Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Best Books for Young Adults

It is also the first time ever that READ@PolyU has selected a common book in the form of a graphic novel. The selection of a graphic novel coincided with the Library’s education and collection effort to build awareness of this oft-overlooked but important literary genre. The resulting collection of graphic novels will enhance the Library’s leisure reading collection and contribute to the programme goals of promoting reading.

The selection process with a campus-wide call for nomination in January, and concluded with the final selection by the READ@PolyU Programme Committee in May.

-May 2019-

Thank you for your nominations for the 2019 common book! We are delighted to announce the common book for READ@PolyU 2019.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood is the autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi detailing her experience growing up in Iran from ages of six to fourteen. The novel has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 2000 and was adapted into an award-winning animated film in 2007.

The book was selected for its complex themes and appealing graphic format, and for a reading experience that we believe will both delight and challenge our readers.

The selection was made in May 2019 by the READ@PolyU Programme Committee, concluding a process that began, in January 2019, with a campus-wide call for nomination.