“The closure of bookstores doesn’t mean physical books are over. It just means rent is high,” says Big Bad Wolf’s co-founder Jacqueline Ng. She even observes that in Malaysia where there is a 24-hour bookstore, books are not only for leisure but also for community building.
Although, the rates at which people are reading actual books may be undefinable—because first, how will that be measured?—the founders of the biggest book sale in the world is banking on sales.
Making reading inclusive
But they, too, know that people buying books doesn’t translate to readability or to the sudden uplifting of the publishing industry nor does dropping book prices make reading more accessible to all. They acknowledge that for some, reading is still a privilege. This is why they are continuing their partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK) to bring reading to many parts of the country.
https://www.facebook.com/bbwbooksphilippines/posts/677906192980496?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCuYEL3RWRAslPeNwJzy5OIciv_4vBD5RG8UC5lqPNfhsNJ1HuXiZeyYQg_2K6snP_lgtcoAjW_G368V7h-liTXQ1U9PU9zQ9Lce8Zt3fppu2cI6NWpbnJ2TSi5YeIZFVGxhVuIBRSE7gFlfQbFHy8SWdFXodRR5B3rIXuHtbOLo36IRnaTS3ypEJ6HO1ZDFu3I–CJkJJztZa_bL7qBadwBLFXySHkCuy_Pw7pPq2lcCl0Gn_OdTA-nqJzxCoMdbeXvnEACYXNp7RUwXvf0qDd3r1AhKcpw8s1LSTxcc1NxQJk-q_p8h7zfrksYlnBkQgtZSN0AIdVCfEXadlQ7CE&__tn__=-R
GK’s Jose Luis Oquiñena shared their milestones so far including projects in Cebu, Davao, and plans to incorporate reading as a psychosocial tool for rehabilitation for the evacuees of Taal.
Taking its cue from Indonesia’s 24-hour bookstore, Oquiñena shares their hopes of creating such a place where people could do more than just read but where communities can also socialize, build relationships, and go about anything they wish to do leisurely. GK’s dream is to make this project a reality in two year’s time.
Books as rehabilitation tools
Meanwhile, the team behind Big Bad Wolf, for its part, will be donating books to the target communities of GK. In 2019, for example, a total of 16,123 books from the sale were distributed to provinces such as Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, Leyte, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. That is other than encouraging those who can afford to hoard books from the sale to buy for loved ones, or even to donate a book to a reader somewhere in the Philippines.
https://www.facebook.com/bbwbooksphilippines/videos/185150125931032/
The 24-hour book sale will feature titles from every genre at 50 to 90 percent discount. This selection even includes 12 titles called “magical books” because they are equipped with augmented reality technology. Readers, through an app, can see pages come to life, making for a more interactive reading experience.
Big Bad Wolf 2020 happens at the World Trade Center from Feb. 14 to 24.
Header photo courtesy of Big Bad Wolf Books
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Writer: CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE
