This news comes across as a welcome opportunity for Filipino bibliophiles to stock up on their reading materials. With the rising prominence of e-books and the hefty price tags of books in bookstores, it's nice to have events like the Big Bad Wolf book sale to satisfy the informational and literary cravings of Filipino readers.
After all, a literate population is key to progress.
As usual, millions of books at discounted rates are up for grabs across the sprawling exhibition halls of World Trade Center in Pasay City. Not sure where or how to start? Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of Manila's most anticipated book sale:
Big Bad Wolf runs from February 22 to March 4, 2019, and is open 24/7.
Big books sales like the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) are wild and chaotic, precisely because they are open only during the day. Most people also prefer to go on weekends because there just isn't any time during weekdays to rush to the SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia, not to mention deal with the horrendous rush hour traffic.
Which is why the 24/7 concept by Big Bad Wolf is a great idea: it gives people who hold 8-5 jobs and those who would want to escape Manila's infamous urban gridlock a chance to go at their preferred time and leisure.
Collect and select.
With millions of books on offer, it's easy to get overwhelmed as you hop from one book pile to another. The trick? Get a huge trolley basket and drop in everything you fancy. Once you've scouted the entire area, find a corner to select the ones you'd like to buy. Easy.
Come to the event with specific topics or titles in mind.
People are told not to go to a grocery on an empty stomach because if they do, they often end up buying more items than they need. The same is true in book sales. Without a gameplan, you may end up getting caught up in the process and spend more than your original budget.
In most cases, hardcovers come with paperback versions.
Many books come in hardcover editions. But if you are tight on budget, it might be better if you try to look for paperback editions, which are cheaper.
Bring an ecobag or a trolley if you are hauling off plenty of books.
It is quite sad that plastic bags are used for every purchase at the Big Bad Wolf. This is bad for the environment. Do your share in reducing your carbon footprint by bringing an ecobag with you. You may also choose to bring a luggage to place your books in.
Include local titles by Filipino authors and publishers.
There are a handful of local publishers at WTC selling their books for a discount, but they seem negligible when viewed as a whole. Big Bad Wolf is that one moment of the year when people come in droves and open their wallets to buy books. Local publishers shouldn't be left out of the game. This will help local writers and publishers get the much needed support they need to continue writing and producing content.
If you're the type of reader who prefers serious and mature publications (e.g., art, politics, literary classics), Big Bad Wolf offers very little for you.
Going inside the WTC, you can immediately sense the demographic Big Bad Wolf caters to: children, young adults, and millennials. In fact, half of the entire space is devoted to children's books alone. A quarter is devoted to young adult materials, and the remaining quarter is for everything else. A bit more variety would probably help?
Give the option to buy ecobags.
Instead of being trigger-happy with plastic bags, organizers may wish to offer ecobags at a cost. Ecobags are reusable while plastics end up polluting our sewers and oceans and cause floods. There's a thought.
Happy book hunting, everybody!
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Have you visited the Big Bad Wolf book sale? What books did you end p buying? Join in the discussion by posting a comment below.