JOHOR BARU: Fancy reading in a jail cell? Now you can experience the unusual pleasure of settling down with a good book behind bars at the now-defunct Ayer Molek Prison.
The unique experience, called “Aku, Sel dan Sebuah Buku” (Me, a Cell and a Book), is among the highlights of the three-day Kota Jail Book Fest, which is being held at the historic former prison until Sunday (July 26).
The concept was introduced to give visitors the chance to sit quietly in a real prison cell and enjoy the experience of reading, said Kota Jail sales and marketing director Zamirah Zainuddin.
“Each cell can accommodate four to five participants and they are encouraged not to use their mobile phones throughout the session to enjoy a distraction-free experience.
“We hope that through this activity, visitors can also appreciate the more than 140 years old prison, which is a landmark that has been transformed into a centre for arts, culture and community activities,” she said in an interview.
She added that two prison cell reading sessions have been slotted for Saturday (July 25), from 2.30pm to 3.30pm and 4.30pm to 5.30pm.
Zamirah said Kota Jail, which began operations last year, has organised various community events but the book festival was its first.
“The festival features about 40 local book vendors, as well as entrepreneurs offering artisanal products, creative workshops and food and beverages.
“We are not only targeting book lovers, but also those who are not interested in reading, with the hope of showing them that reading can be fun and a celebration of arts, culture and heritage,” she said.
Besides browsing books and reading in a prison cell, visitors can take part in handmade workshops, book discussions, family-friendly activities and guided prison tours.
“They can also choose to read while enjoying food and drinks at a library space set up at the site of the prison’s original library,” she said.
Zamirah added that efforts had been made to preserve the former prison’s structures, including its cells, walls and even graffiti, as much as possible to maintain its architectural and aesthetic integrity.
“We hope that through programmes such as this, visitors can better appreciate this century-old landmark because this is vital to prevent it from being demolished or replaced by other developments,” she said.
The Kota Jail Book Fest runs from July 24 to 26, from 10am to 11pm. Admission is free.
