Dubai: Big Bad Wolf Books, in collaboration with strategic partner Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, is set to return on Friday, April 7, as the “World’s Biggest Book Sale” with discounts of over 75 per cent across its 10 days.
Returning to Dubai for its fourth year, the book sale will be held at Dubai Studio City, a member of TECOM Group PJSC, which is also Big Bad Wolf Books’ official venue partner. The book sale will be open to the public daily from 9am to 2am until Sunday, April 16, and is free for all to enter.
Ahead of the event, a press conference in Dubai brought together key industry stakeholders, including Andrew Yap, Co-Founder of Big Bad Wolf Books; Khaled Hatrash, Operations Manager, Dubai Studio City; Eiman Al Hammadi, Acting Manager of Libraries Affairs from Dubai Culture; long-standing partners, and literary enthusiasts. They discussed the importance of nurturing regular and sustainable reading habits in the UAE and Big Bad Wolf Books’ role in gifting the public a treasure trove of knowledge.
The Ministry of Culture and Youth initiative ‘UAE Reads’ aims to establish reading as a habit among 50 per cent of Emirati adults and 80 per cent of school students by 2026. In line with the scheme, Big Bad Wolf Books is committed to enriching Dubai Culture’s mission to spread knowledge through reading.
Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City – TECOM Group, said: “Literature is a powerful fuel for creativity, imagination, and curiosity. Big Bad Wolf promotes a love for reading that is essential to nurture in younger generations, especially in an increasingly digital world. This event has become such a staple of our creative calendar, drawing huge crowds to its home at Dubai Studio City’s filming facilities. We’re thrilled to welcome it back and continue spreading our passion for powerful storytelling in every medium, language and style.”
Eiman Al Hammadi said: “At Dubai Culture, we realise the importance of organising and hosting book fairs. They are an effective platform for exchanging ideas and experiences, shaping the future of the cultural and literary sector and the publishing industry. They represent an essential source of the creative economy ecosystem, which Dubai aspires to become its global capital by 2026.”
Al Hammadi also noted that Big Bad Wolf Books opens many windows to the worlds of culture and the publishing industry across many disciplines and scientific, literary, and human fields. She expressed the Authority’s pride in its strategic partnership with Big Bad Wolf Books: “This allows us to discover the joy of reading and equip ourselves with knowledge. The exhibition supports our cultural and creative industries, of which the publishing and literature movement is essential. This comes within the Authority’s commitment to achieving Dubai’s cultural vision to cement the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.”
Gift vouchers
This year, Big Bad Wolf Books is introducing gift vouchers for the first time to encourage more people to read.
Additionally, customers can partake in an exciting ‘Book Haul’ contest for a chance to take home a trolley full of their favourite reads. All they have to do is upload a creative image or video of their experience at the Book Sale on BBW’s social media with the hashtag #BBWDUBAI.
Andrew Yap said: “Big Bad Wolf Books has proved to be a resounding success in the UAE. Building on the momentum we’ve created over the years, we’re pleased to return to Dubai with many new and exciting additions to provide book lovers in the region with an ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ experience laced with good-quality, affordable books and lasting memories. As a brand, we’ve always believed that reading is an essential activity that opens up new worlds of knowledge and imagination in our ongoing quest to increase literacy worldwide and reach people beyond borders; we’re confident that this upcoming edition will be ‘Bigger & Gooder’ than ever before.”
He further expanded on his first-hand interaction with customers during the last sale: “Many expatriate customers who visited have inspiring stories about how the affordability factor provided by the Book Sale allows them to send books back home to their families and loved ones. For many, Big Bad Wolf Books is not just a Book Sale but an avenue through which they can share the joy and add value with those for whom reading is not so accessible. We are humbled and grateful to have the support of Dubai Culture, our strategic partner; Dubai Studio City, our venue partner; and Dubai Production City, our mission partner, all of whom are helping us realise the vision of Big Bad Wolf Books.”
Visitors can browse through a plethora of bestsellers, fiction, non-fiction, literature, cookbooks, children’s books, graphic novels, and more. In addition, the fair will showcase board games, colouring books, and collectables, all under one roof. To spread the reading cheer among the community, visitors can participate in sharing their payment receipts (minimum spend of Dh260) with their friends and family, who can then use the paid receipt on their next visit to the Book Sale and receive a discount of Dh50 off on a minimum spend of Dh350.
