“Our mission is to change the world through books, and we want to make that change beginning with kids. But in this digital age, how can we make children fall in love with books?” posed Andrew Yap, who had co-founded Big Bad Wolf Books with his wife Jacqueline Ng way back in 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “The Big Bad Wolf is a classic character and today’s kids are less familiar with it than their parents’ generation. The name is sure to attract their interest and curiosity,” he added.
Yap remembers his childhood bereft of books and vows that no child today should face that problem; hence he has been intent on presenting books at the most affordable price range.
“This is our first time here. We have partnered with SBA and as a specialised book fair with people from across the region flying in here, this is a wonderful opportunity for us.”
Being a children’s event, BBW is exhibiting only children’s books at SCRF. But that is a virtual treasure house of books that children will fancy -- board books, popup books, colouring books, encyclopedias and the like. “At SCRF, our books are priced for as low as AED 3 and as high as 180 (for a book that costs 500 dirhams),” said Santy John, head of Marketing and Business development of BBW in the UAE.
She pointed out that they have been in the UAE for quite some time, holding book fairs in Dubai and Sharjah. “We are exploring further and will soon be seen in Ajman and Abu Dhabi, not to mention other Middle Eastern nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. We are across 17 countries and 50 cities, and are still growing.”
The price point is their USP, and has meant even casual visitors will not hesitate to buy a book. “We have everything a young child needs. The fact that we are selling on a large scale brings in profits. It is the volume game,” said John.
According to Yap, “If the whole world is reading, we will see a better world.” SCRF 2025 can only wish for the same too.
Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme “Dive into Books”. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this year’s agenda will feature 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations.
For more information on this free-to-attend event, visit
www.scrf.ae
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