Hong Kong, 13 November 2021 ————– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SCHMIDT MODERATES AT HONG KONG LITERARY FESTIVAL 2021
Award-winning architect Tom Schmidt, author and illustrator of The Bumbling Traveller – Sketching the World, was invited to moderate two sessions at the 2021 Hong Kong International Literary Festival on Saturday, 13 November 2021 at The Fringe Club’s Jockey Club Studio Theatre in Hong Kong.
In one of the first sessions of the day, Schmidt interviewed Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley, authors of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine. As a hybrid event, the moderated online discussion was simultaneously live streamed in front of an live audience. Schmidt covered topics revolving around the architecture of quarantine centers throughout history and the political impacts of quarantine around the world. The discussion pivoted to aspects of agricultural quarantine, the need for quarantine relative to future space exploration, and the potentially dystopian future of quarantine around the world. A brief question and answer segment concluded the presentation.
Schmidt’s second moderated session, Make Independent Publishing Work For You, featured a panel of three prolific independent publishers. Schmidt was joined by authors Larry Feign, Chris Maden, and Jordan Rivet who shared their personal journeys into independent publishing within a constantly evolving landscape of book publishing. The moderated discussion started with the business and financial aspects of independent publishing, followed by the production and process of bringing a book to market. The latter portion of the well-attended 90-minute panel discussion concentrated on book promotion and the future of independent publishing. The session concluded with a brief question and answer session from live and virtual audience members.
The annual Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) features established and emerging writers from around the world in a program that includes panel discussions, book talks, literary lunches and dinners, readings, workshops, and performance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Schmidt is an award-winning architect, writer, illustrator, musician, and part-time stand-up comedian. Born in the United States, following his studies of Architecture and Environmental Design at the University of Colorado, his wanderlust has carried him through various bumbling adventures in over 70 countries around the world, across all seven continents.
Schmidt is a licensed architect in the US and New Zealand, an Accredited Professional in the LEED® and WELL building certification programs, a founding member of the Hong Kong Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and a member of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI). He has resided in Hong Kong since 1997 and is founder of Sepia Design Consultants Limited (www.sepiadesign.com), an architectural consultancy specializing in sustainable hospitality design.