BIG BAD WOLF IS BACK
Asia’s largest book show, in Thailand for a third consecutive year, has the lofty goal of increasing English literacy among children and young adults
The wolf is back in town once again for a 24-hour shopping pilgrimage for all bookworms.
Big Bad Wolf is one of the biggest book sale events in this part of the world, and it’s now in Thailand for the third consecutive year. The event was created in 2009 in Malaysia by Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, who were advocating for increased readership and English literacy, especially in countries where English is not the first language. While it began simply as a warehouse sale, the Big Bad Wolf has grown and expanded to several countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
Strolling through Impact Forum Hall 9, visitors will see 3 million discounted, brand-new books laid out in a non-stop 24-hour shopping extravaganza until Aug 20. Among books available are best-selling novels, young adult fiction, children’s books, art and design titles, cookbooks and more.
To make books accessible for everyone, Big Bad Wolf — in its Red Readerhood programme — has pledged to donate books to underprivileged schools and libraries across Thailand through the Hope Foundation. Supporters are welcome to join the cause by donating books at the Red Readerhood corner, which is located at the fair’s exit.
During the event’s launch last week, Life sat down with the two founders and Thai organiser, Surachet Worawongwasu, to discuss their quest in changing the world one book at a time.
How is Big Bad Wolf fulfilling its mission to improve people’s reading habits and English proficiency?
Jacqueline: You always see the people who are fluent in English. They study overseas. They got better opportunities. But there are people in the lower income group whose family do not speak English. They have no books at home and their schools don’t teach much English. It’s a different environment. We think English books can bridge that gap of English proficiency.
Based on a testimony, we had a mother who bought books for her children, and despite not having the time to read to them, at least they had books around that they could flip through. When they learn some words in school, they begin to be able to read, all with a better use of English than their classmates.
I was inspired by that. Just because we make quality books cheap and available, parents can afford to have them at home for their kids. Having books at home and in school do make a difference.
We travel a lot to Thailand. In simple hotels, receptionists don’t really speak English but still try to go all the way to help you. Just imagine if this person can speak English. What more could they do in their career with this advantage? It will give a lot of people a lot of benefits if we can introduce English books to them and inspire them to learn the language.
For people who already read, they will also read more because they can afford more books now with the same budget.
Do you perceive any differences in the readership in each country?
Andrew: In Thailand, young adult books and fiction don’t sell that well. But in Malaysia and the Philippines where English is a second language, they sell really well. Thai customers prefer books for kids up to five years, especially interactive ones. Perhaps it is because the parents are not able to speak English so well, so they choose things they can play with like pop-up or sound books that should be easier to get their children interested.
Do you think people read more or less nowadays?
Jacqueline: In the countries we are at, people are reading more because they are non-readers to begin with. We are converting a non-reader to a reader. But generally, the whole world is reading less. Life is different now as people are on their phone all the time. There are so many distractions. It is different from where we were 20-30 years ago when people would have time to themselves to read.
Are paper books still relevant now that we have so many other electronic and digital options available?
Andrew: I think it’s all about the experience to read an actual book compared to digital ones. Nothing beats the smell of books, and the touch and feel.
Jacqueline: In the UK, Waterstones has stopped selling Kindle. You can actually see the decline in e-books. When it was introduced, people were fascinated with the gadget. It is convenient as you don’t have to carry so many books. But now, it’s declining, and instead there’s a surge in paper books. Even Amazon is opening a physical book store.
Surachet: I would focus on credibility, if you’re using books as references. Online, you can find all sorts of information that you get almost overwhelmed by the amount. You also get fake news, which is a problem when we deal with cyber information. With paper books, you turn to the back and see references and the author’s name.
I think digital information is relevant when you need something for constant updates, like news and weekly periodicals. But for a basis of study, paper books still rule.
How are Thai readers responding to Big Bad Wolf?
Surachet: Overwhelmingly positive. I have a big fan base of mothers who are raising children to be more educated and bilingual. We’re noticing a pattern in other markets as well. In Malaysia, Big Bad Wolf has been present for almost 10 years, and their very first customers who were toddlers have now graduated into young readers in their mid-teens. They come back to buy books themselves as their parents have instilled in them the culture of reading when they were very young.
In Thailand, we see a strong growth in purchases of children’s books for under fives. If this goes in the same direction as the market in Malaysia, I promise that we’re going to have a huge number of young readers in the young adult section, and that is something that has always been a part of our objective.
What are your future plans for Big Bad Wolf?
Andrew: As a group, it is our duty to grow as fast as we can. There are hundreds of other countries like Thailand out there, and the majority don’t have access to good, affordable books. And no one is doing what we do. So, the slower we grow, the longer they have to wait.
In Thailand, young adult books and fiction don’t sell that well. But in Malaysia and the Philippines where English is a second language, they sell really well