• The Big Bad Wolf book sale has opened at Sharjah Expo Centre. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
    The Big Bad Wolf book sale has opened at Sharjah Expo Centre. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The sale is open daily from 10am to midnight until January 7
    The sale is open daily from 10am to midnight until January 7
  • Founded in Malaysia in 2009, the Big Bad Wolf book sale has since toured the world
    Founded in Malaysia in 2009, the Big Bad Wolf book sale has since toured the world
  • More than a million titles are on sale
    More than a million titles are on sale
  • Bookworms can look forward to discounts of up to 85 per cent off books' recommended retail price
    Bookworms can look forward to discounts of up to 85 per cent off books' recommended retail price
  • Big Bad Wolf has since toured 37 cities in 15 countries, from Cambodia to Hong Kong and Pakistan to the Philippines
    Big Bad Wolf has since toured 37 cities in 15 countries, from Cambodia to Hong Kong and Pakistan to the Philippines
  • Visitors browse titles at the sale
    Visitors browse titles at the sale
  • Big Bad Wolf Books first came to the UAE in 2018 and has proved hugely popular since then
    Big Bad Wolf Books first came to the UAE in 2018 and has proved hugely popular since then
  • The sale in Dubai last year, after a two-year hiatus, was so popular that it remained open for 24 hours
    The sale in Dubai last year, after a two-year hiatus, was so popular that it remained open for 24 hours
  • Sharjah is playing host to the sale for the first time
    Sharjah is playing host to the sale for the first time
  • Bookworms will find all kinds of genres, from science fiction to children's books
    Bookworms will find all kinds of genres, from science fiction to children's books
  • Entry to Big Bad Wolf Sharjah is free
    Entry to Big Bad Wolf Sharjah is free

Globetrotting Big Bad Wolf book fair makes Sharjah debut on UAE return


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Touring book fair Big Bad Wolf has returned to the UAE, with Sharjah playing host for the first time.

Starting on Tuesday, Expo Centre Sharjah will be home to more than a million titles in what has been marketed as "the world's biggest book sale".

Open daily from 10am-midnight until January 7, bookworms can look forward to all kinds of genres, from science fiction to children's books, with some discounted up to 85 per cent of their recommended retail price.

Established in Malaysia in 2009 by Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, who founded online book store BookXcess, Big Bad Wolf says its mission is “to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy worldwide, and build a new generation of readers by making books more affordable and accessible to everyone.”

Now a globetrotting book sale, Big Bad Wolf has since toured 37 cities in 15 countries, from Cambodia to Hong Kong and Pakistan to the Philippines.

Big Bad Wolf Books first came to the UAE in 2018 during Ramadan, and has proved hugely popular since then. The sale in Dubai last year, after a two-year hiatus, proved so popular that it remained open for 24 hours.

The last sale in the country was held in April, also in Dubai.

Entry to Big Bad Wolf Sharjah is free. However, visitors must register before entering the venue by scanning a QR code on-site and filling out a form. Registering also automatically enters visitors into a raffle where they can win a number of prizes.

Updated: December 19, 2023, 2:34 PM