Over 500,000 books from various genre up for grabs at annual fair

JOHOR BARU: Back for the second time with over 500,000 books up for grabs, the Big Bad Wolf book fair is expected to see an increase in visitor turnout by at least 40% this year.

Its floor manager Mogan Joachim Nayagam said that about 50,000 visitors thronged the fair last year to get their hands on good bargains on a wide variety of books.

“We have over 500,000 books in stock this time around, with discounts of up to 95% of the original prices.

“Visitors can choose from a vast range of books including cookery, travel, biography, comics, novels and children’s story books, just to name a few,” he told StarMetro when met at the fair held at Danga City Expo.

Nayagam added that the weekend special has also been a hit among visitors, as hundreds were seen snapping up the Hunger Games Trilogy, which usually retails at RM125 per set, but was sold cheaply at RM30 at the fair.

“We also have a wider choice of bestsellers this year. There are also dedicated tables for popular recipe books such Jamie’s America by Jamie Oliver and Nigella Fresh by Nigella Lawson,” he said.

“Besides the locals, Singaporeans are also expected to throng the fair.

“We anticipate a higher number of visitors from across the causeway this year, as the fair coincides with the island republic’s school holidays as well,” he said of the on-going fair that will end this Sunday.

Nayagam said that while the fair was held 24 hours for 10 consecutive days in Kuala Lumpur last year, the management found that it was not necessary to hold a 24-hour sale in the southern region.

“We do not expect a massive jam among visitors here compared to the Kuala Lumpur edition, as the fair is still gaining popularity,” he said, adding that the management would have a 24-hour fair if there is a necessity in the near future.