The Big Bad Wolf Book fair, organised by Plan for Kids, is back, starting this Friday 25th August 2023 at Central Airport Plaza, and you will be able to pick up and buy any and as many of over one hundred thousand books which will be offered at deep sale prices.
With discounts of up to 95% of the cover price, book lovers and young readers will be able to spend hours and days – and not too many bahts – choosing books great and small from thousands of publishers across the world.
This particular fairy tale all started in 2009 when Malaysian company BookXcess launched their first Big Bad Wolf with the aim of, “primarily wishing to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy world wide and build a new generation of readers by making books more affordable and accessible to everyone.” Since then – bar the three pandemic years, naturally – millions of books have traveled from country to country across the region (to date having toured 34 cities in 13 countries), offering the book reading public deep discounts and access to some of the greatest, most current, local, international, fun, fictional, factual and useful books in the world.
“I have been in the book selling and publishing business for most of my life and this is the second year which I am organising the Big Bad Wolf fair here in Chiang Mai,” said Trasvin Jittidecharak, who also owns the publishing house Silkworm Press. “What I have noticed that is of great interest is that when compared to many other provinces in Thailand, Chiang Mai’s readers are very sophisticated and discerning. Because Chiang Mai has long been a seat of learning, because of the strong missionary presence in our school system over the past century and because of the well ingrained focus on knowledge in our education system, Chiang Mai’s readers really do buy and devour books. Our readers are well versed in book selection, critiquing and selection, there is a great appreciation here for books and we must make sure we meet all of those needs. Last year we had great sales and the only complaint we heard was that we didn’t provide enough books. So this year we have made sure to bring more and more books, with a focus on non-fiction, which was in great demand last year.”
Trasvin went on to explain that last year’s inventory covered many more fiction books, but following Bangkok’s hugely successful Big Bad Wolf fair earlier this month, she intends to bring more general knowledge non-fiction books to Chiang Mai as it appears that there is a great thirst for knowledge post-pandemic.
“Another interesting field which saw books sell out in Bangkok,’ added Trasvin, “is psychological books. I believe that there are many people who have come out of the pandemic with mental health issues, so we are going to provide as many resources as we possibly can to meet this demand. Not only are we going to provide more books, we are also going to bring them in from more countries. Chiang Mai’s readers are very multi-generational, and to that end, we will not only provide adult general knowledge and self help books, but a vast number of books which will be appreciated by children and their parents as well as teachers. From baby to young adults, there will be a vast selection to meet all needs of children. Children’s books in Thailand tend to have a low print run, especially those translated from other languages, so we will be compiling and offering a very impressive selection, offering more and more opportunities for Thai children to develop, learn and enjoy.”
“I have five children, the youngest was three last year and the oldest 12,” said Supakarn Kanokwan, 41, who says that she will be visiting the Big Bad Wolf Book fair again this year. “We managed to buy dozens of books last year, with most being interactive learning games and books for my youngest children and I want more this year because since then I have looked at the prices here in Chiang Mai, and the fair offered these books up at a fraction of those prices. There were multiple books for each of my kids and they have had the whole year to enjoy them.”
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, where information is abundant and technology shapes our lives, cultivating the habit of regular reading is an essential skill for young people to develop a passion for,” said Alex Soulsby, creative director at Prem Tinsulanonda International School Chiang Mai. “Reading not only enhances critical thinking and comprehension abilities but also equips students with the tools to navigate the complexities of our world, exploring diverse perspectives, developing empathy, and strengthening their analytical skills. All these skills are necessary for empowering them to thrive in an interconnected and rapidly changing society.”
At the end of the day if you love books there is no better opportunity than Big Bad Wolf to restock your library and get your hands on top quality books at cut-rate prices.
The Big Bad Wolf Book fair will be on from 25 August – 3 September 2023 from 10 am. to 9 pm. At Chiang Mai Hall, Central Chiangmai Airport.
