The ‘World’s Biggest Book Sale, Big Bad Wolf Sharjah’ is being held in the city for the first time as the local edition of the international event, with doors open till midnight for the next 20 days.
In partnership with Sharjah Book Authority, the World’s Biggest Book Sale, Big Bad Wolf Sharjah will run from December 19 to Jan 7, 2024 at Expo Centre, 10am to 12am daily.
Offering free entry to all, the sale has books in every genre, for children and adults alike.
Established in 2009 by BookXcess founders Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, Big Bad Wolf advocates global reading and English literacy. Touring 37 cities in 15 countries, Big Bad Wolf Books was first held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Widely knows as the ‘World’s Biggest Book Sale’, the Sale is a global reading advocacy initiative that aims to ‘Change the World One Book at a Time’, by encouraging people of all ages to discover the joys of reading.
Since its inception, the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale has evolved, going global with editions held in Dubai, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and other places.
Andrew Yap, Co-Founder of Big Bad Wolf Books, said: “The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale was conceptualized with the vision to promote literacy and reading among communities worldwide. Since the start, it has attracted flocks of book lovers from across the region and has earned a reputation for offering unbelievable selections and prices on books—serving as an excellent opportunity for avid readers to build their collections, pass on books to their loved ones and connect with readers from all over the world.”
Reflecting on the overall Big Bad Wolf experience in the UAE, Yap praised the continuous support received from the government. He accentuated the importance of providing access to affordable books for children as they are often expensive and because children benefit from reading at least one book per week.
Yap encouraged for a balance between bookstores and restaurants and spoke of the necessity of feeding both the body and mind. “The ratio of bookstores should be equal to restaurants, as you feed your stomach you should feed your brain,’’ he added.
Looking towards the future, Yap revealed that Big Bad Wolf plans to expand its exhibitions to other emirates. While the fair has traditionally been held in Dubai, there have been inquiries about bringing the event to Abu Dhabi. Yap stressed the need for media support to make such expansions possible, acknowledging that collaboration is essential for success.
