“Changing the world one book at a time”
– Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2019
Karachi is reading more. The activity and glory of the city’s literature production, that seemed to have dunked down with the city’s dark phases, is redeeming its place as more and more literary events are being organized. Libraries, community centers and book bazars are springing up in different locations of the city. If this realization made you content, we have news for you.
Book lovers of Karachi, The Expo Center is currently flooding with books. Malaysia’s Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, regarded as the “world’s biggest book sale”, is here in Karachi at Expo-center, round the clock, till August 5, 2019. Boasting a staggering collection of 1 million English Language books, the sale offers massive discounts on original books, ranging from 50% to even 90% off!
Books have withstood the test of time. As technology became cheaper, possession of physical copies historically were predicted to go redundant and outdated. The theory failed as the medium is still just as popular, and as the founders of the sale also realized, there is actually a growing demand for physical books. As it seems, the accessibility, charm and pleasure of reading books on paper is unparalleled.
Founded in 2009, The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale has toured to multiple cities including UAE, Manila, Colombo, Seoul, Bangkok, Cebu, Lahore and now Karachi. As of 2018, it has been to 16 cities in seven different countries.Being in the remainder book business, they were able to keep prices of the book very low and affordable.
Why you cannot miss this:
Firstly, Living and working in Karachi, we know that in the hustle and vibrancy of the city, every hour counts (it isn’t called city of lights for nothing!). So be it 12pm or 3am, the doors are open 24/7 for book lovers to come and raid the collections at display!
Secondly, popular books are on sale at amazing prices, with original books as cheap as 300 PKR. And there is a refined collection available for everyone – young or old, fiction readers or professionals who read self-help books, artist, car-lovers or travellers – the sale accommodates everyone, people of all ages and of all financial backgrounds.
Thirdly, the sale is here to promote a healthy mindset. Talking about the young ones, Big Bad Wolf is has a mission: to make reading a culture where families share books and parents play an active role in getting their children access to books, so a reading habit is instilled from the beginning. Andrew Yap, the founder of Big bad Wolf Sale remarked that “By making millions of high-quality English Books accessible, we aim to ignite imaginations, foster creative thinking and help empower future generations of Pakistan”. The literacy rate in Pakistan has steadily increased during recent years, especially for population aged 15 and older. This shows a clear opportunity to introduce youth to reading as resource and as a hobby. Helping the purpose, the program is also donating a collection to some library projects in the city too. After all, staying true to making books accessible to everyone including the underprivileged, the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale also believes in giving back to the community.
There is also a catch to win free books. You can use your social media account to advertise the exhibition and get a chance to win two trolleys worth of books:
Lastly, visiting the book sale doesn’t have to be just shopping, which albeit is fun in itself. There is also a designated food court where friends and families can dine in. If you are lucky enough, you may bump into celebrities too! Sarfaraz Ahmed, the cricket captain who led Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup, was also spotted shopping for books with family.
Recently, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Mr. Murad Ali Shah also paid a visit to encourage arrangements of literary events in the city.
With the globalization of the world, learning English has become crucial. English is the language that connects the world and used to communicate for businesses, education and more – all the more reasons to stock your shelves with quality books and their life altering impacts and experiences. Awais Akhtar Butt, the organizer of the sale in Karachi, also comments, “The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale brings greater accessibility to affordable books to people, and we are really happy to bring it to Karachi”.
Follow their official facebook page, browse through their collection, and keep yourself posted about updates.
