Bringing Stories to Life

Being Neighbourly x Jess Cheung & Diane Wang, Gentle

Author/ Being Neighbourly
21 May 2025

Stories are what have always bound people together,” says Diane Wang, Co-founder of Gentle . We’re ‘talking’ over email after having met at a Gentle Books event at Soho House, during the Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) 2025.

“In the attention economy [of today],” Wang continues, “much of our information and entertainment consumption is dominated by short-form media like articles, podcasts and social media, where ideas are simplified and presented to us in a simple way,” she says.

However, books and reading, she says, require a deeper level of engagement from the reader, who must, “independently digest words on a page, and draw on their own imagination to make ideas and stories come to life”.

Gentle was started out of a love for secondhand books and the belief that books do not belong in landfill; as well as the wish to preserve the feeling that the pair had had of browsing through secondhand bookshops, while living abroad.

According to the introspective duo, Gentle was born out of a love of vintage and secondhand, which has manifested itself in two main areas of focus: vintage and pre-loved objects for the home; and secondhand books.

“Living gently to us means being mindful about our consumption, enabling others to be conscious consumers through accepting book donations and promoting circularity.”

But books? Dispelling the notion that they are a lone voice, or a drying breed, Wang shares that it is rare to find anyone who does not have the desire to read more than they already do.

“Most people recognise the addictive nature of our devices and the amount of time we spend online,” says Cheung, adding that, increasingly, we see people expressing the desire to unplug, slow down and spend time engaging with ideas, thoughts and people in a meaningful way.”

“It’s the act of reading that I love—being able to slow down and become engrossed in a book, explore new worlds, new perspectives, and think about life. There’s so much we can learn from books!,” says Wang, while Cheung adds that for her, her favourite reading moments and books that elicit the strongest response are when the book she’s reading grapples with ideas and themes that are reflected in her everyday life.

Gentle Books customers are book lovers who wish to unearth their next read at Gentle Book pop ups; people who are all too versed in the rental pressures in Hong Kong, the consequence of which is that the pair do not have a physical store — which, arguably, adds to all of the fun.

According to Wang, their customers were “craving” in-person connections, leading to them running events, from regular book club events and private book swap dinners to Sip & Read Silent Reading meets; which have an opt in/out sharing at the end.

“Our events take books as their starting point,” says Wang, rhapsodizing over the powerful ability that books have of bringing people together. Even if someone doesn’t identify as a reader, everyone has experience engaging with a book, or with the ideas presented within one.

We couldn’t agree more.

What’s the best work advice you have received?

“I can’t remember who said this, but it’s stayed with me throughout the years. It’s people that create meaning. We think a lot about collaborating and co-creating with our community, and I think that insight has shaped how we approach everything, from the way we work together to the long-term partnerships we form,” says Diane Wang, Co-founder of Gentle.

“The advice came from a mentor at Entrepreneurs First: “Start small, but think big.” It helps us keep things in perspective—every small action at Gentle, from organizing our first book sale to hosting community events, is a step toward creating a more sustainable and book-loving world, ” says Jess Cheung, Co-founder of Gentle.

Gentle
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