Siah enjoys organising the secondhand book fair despite the hard work involved. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
A literary wonderland offers rare finds and delightful surprises for all readers.
FOR over a decade, book lovers in Kuching have flocked to the annual Second Time Around book fair to hunt for secondhand gems at affordable prices.
Now rebranded as the Hills Book Festival, this popular event runs for four to six weeks, offering thousands of titles priced from RM3.90, with some special deals as low as RM1.
Paperbacks and hardcovers are neatly categorised on tables, ranging from children’s books to adult fiction and non-fiction. Visitors can find everything from business, self-help, history and biography to cooking, gardening, travel, sports and reference materials.
There’s even a selection of vintage books from a United States library, which organiser Larry Siah says has been unexpectedly popular.
“Some of them are rare books over 100 years old. There’s definitely an interest in old books,” he said.
Children’s titles, business books and coffee table volumes also tend to sell well.
This year’s fair, running from Jan 11 to Feb 9, offers around 40,000 books – something for everyone, from casual readers to dedicated collectors.
“Sometimes people are looking for a book they’ve always wanted or a topic they’re passionate about. If they find it, they’re really happy,” said Siah.
“There are also magical moments when customers stumble upon something unexpected. With tens of thousands of titles, it happens often.”
The origins of the book fair can be traced to a serendipitous chain of events.
“About 15 years ago, someone in the secondhand book business here asked me to help bring in books,” Siah recalled.
However, the books didn’t sell, and Siah was asked to take them back. Left with boxes of unsold books, he sought ways to offload them.
The Kuching Festival was happening at the time, so he booked a booth – and to his surprise, the books sold quickly.
“The key is to make books both affordable and accessible. The crowds at the festival loved the variety of titles,” he said.
After two years at the Kuching Festival, a friend offered Siah space at Crown Square mall. With more room to showcase his collection, the book fair grew in popularity.
When the mall space was taken over by a college, Siah approached The Hills mall, where the fair has been held since 2013.
The books come from companies in the United States specialising in used titles.
“You tell them the types of books you want, and they pack them into Gaylord boxes. A 40-foot container holds about 40 of these big boxes,” Siah said.
“You never know what you’ll get – it can be a great year with fantastic titles or a bad year with a lot of junk. It’s the luck of the draw.”
Before displaying the books, Siah sorts, cleans and screens out any inappropriate content, categorising and pricing hundreds of books daily.
“It’s hard work, but I keep going because I love books and want to make them accessible,” he said.
One of the most rewarding experiences for him is seeing parents encourage their children to choose books they like.
“When a child picks a book he’s genuinely interested in, he will read it.
“It’s wonderful to see parents guiding their children into literacy early on,” Siah added.
The book fair enjoys a devoted following, including local columnist Edgar Ong, who has attended since its days at Crown Square.
“What I love most is the sheer variety of books, covering everything under the sun – fiction, non-fiction, serious reads, light reads, hardcovers and quality reference materials,” said Ong.
“I always manage to find intriguing titles, provided I spend enough time browsing.”
Over the years, Siah has built a close friendship with Ong and often sets aside books he thinks might interest him.
“That’s Larry for you,” Ong said warmly. “We’ve formed a close bond, and I hope he continues this wonderful book fair for many more years.”