MIRI: The popular Big Bad Wolf Books is taking its literacy mission beyond the sales floor, turning its latest stop in Miri into a wider community effort to encourage reading among Sarawak’s young readers.
The Malaysian-born global literacy advocate will bring its World’s Biggest Book Sale to Boulevard Shopping Mall from Sept 24 to Oct 4, but organisers say the Miri chapter began weeks before the first book was placed on the shelves.
The team has been visiting schools and preschools across Miri, meeting teachers, engaging with students and reading with children as part of efforts to make books a more natural part of everyday life.
The community engagement was highlighted during a media preview in Miri on Thursday, where Big Bad Wolf Books shared stories and insights gathered from its interactions with local educators and students.
The approach marks a shift from viewing the event simply as a large-scale book sale to using it as a platform to widen access to reading and strengthen the culture of reading within the community.
“We are not just bringing books to Miri; we are bringing an opportunity for discovery,” said Chloe Lim, Public Relations senior manager at Big Bad Wolf Books.
“We want to ensure that readers of all ages, interests, and backgrounds, from toddlers exploring their first picture books to adults seeking profound non-fiction, can step into this space and find something they genuinely connect with.”
With accessibility at the centre of the Miri initiative, the organiser has curated a broad range of titles aimed at readers across different ages and interests.
The event will also offer several initiatives designed to support schools, educators, students and families.
Schools, learning centres and community hubs purchasing books in bulk can receive a 10 per cent discount with a minimum spend of RM1,600, increasing to 12.5 per cent for purchases of RM4,500 and above.
Students and educators can also enjoy a five per cent discount on purchases of at least three books.
The campaign will extend beyond discounts, with the first 50 visitors arriving before 11am each day receiving an RM10 cash voucher.
Visitors can also participate in the Community Gold Rush campaign through Share & Win, Snap & Win and Spend & Win activities, with a premium 5-gram PAMP Suisse gold bar offered as the grand prize.
Daily promotions will include instant cash rebates and a weekday Buy 6, Get 1 Free offer.
For Big Bad Wolf Books, however, the broader objective is to remove the barriers that can prevent people from reading.
Founded in Malaysia in 2009 by BookXcess co-founders Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, Big Bad Wolf Books has grown from an affordable book sale into an international reading advocacy movement.
The sale has travelled to more than 55 cities across 17 countries, including Malaysia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania and Kenya, with recent expansions into Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Books are offered at discounts of up to 95 per cent in selected markets as part of its mission to make reading more affordable and accessible.
In Miri, that mission is being brought closer to the community through its engagement with schools and young readers, reinforcing the idea that literacy is not simply about having books available, but about helping people discover the habit and joy of reading.
The Miri book sale will be held at Level R, Boulevard Shopping Mall from Sept 24 to Oct 4, from 10 am to 10 pm daily.
Admission is free.
