IF YOU DO, or even if you don’t, you must check this out!
On February 16-February 25, all roads lead to the World Trade Center in Pasay City for the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. Big discounts— 60%-80% off the regular prices. Free admission. Open 24 hours every single day of the 10-day event– 231 hours non-stop!
That’s the Good News from the Big Bad Wolf team during the Bulong Pulungan media forum at Hotel Sofitel yesterday, February 6, 2018.
If you are young enough to remember the story of the Little Red Riding Hood, you know that the Big Bad Wolf is the menacing, biting, people-eating animal — appearing in Aesop’s Fables and Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
That’s not the one coming to the Philippines.
Those bringing to us 2 million books are good guys, representing the Big Bad Wolf Books which sells stocks from BookXcess, a bookstore founded by Malaysian couple Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng. The husband-and-wife tandem buys excess, remainder, overrun or overprint books from international distributors, and sells them at big discounted prices especially for those who can’t afford the regular prices. For instance, with 80% discount, a book selling at P700 will cost only P140!
That’s the reason for the name of the group. You know, like the fictional wolf which huffs and puffs when attacking its prey, the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair huffs and puffs away the prohibitive book prices.
But, you say, you can already get digital copies of most of the books online?
You Can Feel It
Lito Nadal, Big Bad Wolf Philippines head, said, however, that studies show many still prefer to have a printed book because there’s nothing like “the feel of it”.
“Physical books are here to stay, as they stimulate reading and engage readers,” Miguel Mercado, marketing head, said.
Mercado presented a video showing humongous crowds filling huge halls during the Big Bad Wolf book sales in Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
The video shows people bringing suitcases, apparently intending to buy not just a few books.
Mercado added, “They bought books not only for themselves but to give to others, especially young people who are no longer reading books, or those too poor to be able to afford a book.”
The Big Bad Wolf is generous not only with discounted prices, but it is also sharing the benefits of the project to Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, a Philippine poverty alleviation, and nation-building movement.
Luis Oquinena, Gawad Kalinga executive director, commended the Big Bad Wolf initiative as it will be a big help in encouraging reading among the youth of Gawad Kalinga and their families.
Because They Care
Mercado said indeed, Big Bad Wolf Books came about out of the good heart of its founders.
“They are doing this not only because they can, but also because they care,” he added.
In various interviews, Big Bad Wolf co-founder Jacqueline Ng said she and her husband Andrew first opened a bookstore at the Amcorp Mall in Malaysia in 2006, selling the books at a fraction of the cost to encourage non-readers to read.
Special targets are the millennials, the youth who have been born with digital devices in their hands, and have hardly held a book.
A customer suggested holding an event to attract more buyers. So, the couple mounted their first book fair in Jakarta, Indonesia, and to their delightful surprise, people formed a 2.5-kilometer queue on opening day.
Big Bad Wolf, now dubbed as the Mother of All Book Fairs, is coming to the Philippines for the first time. And since there’s a multitude of buyers coming, the Book Fair has to be open for 24 hours every single day of the 10-day sale.
“Come at 2 a.m.,” Mercado told the Bulong group. “But I’ve told that to many others, so you might want to come earlier or later.”
Come, have fun with the good Big Bad Wolfe, and share the joy of reading especially with the millennials, particularly those who have not experienced the thrilling feel of a book.
Up for grabs: Fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, young adult fiction, as well as an extensive collection of children’s books… Some samples…
— Cynthia U. Santiago Photos by Ed L. Santiago
C! 