HONG KONG -- In a nondescript industrial building in Kowloon, bordered by mechanics and warehouses, an independent Hong Kong bookshop is reemerging from a pandemic-imposed hibernation at a time when words -- both written and spoken -- are viewed with increasing scrutiny.
Tucked away at the end of an austere corridor on level 27 is Bleak House Books, the warmest of literary worlds that comes with an in-house artist, designated "bookworms" on staff, volunteers and a roster of regular public events.
