Is a book fair really all about books? Well, yes, it is, and so much more.
The feel of holding a book, the smell of ink on paper, and the sound of pages turning –  it’s just too good to pass up.
Times have changed and are continuing to change. Book fairs, while it may sound like something a 13-year-old millennial wouldn’t go to, have managed to survive and extend its charm to this generation.
Luckily, here in the Philippines, despite the idea that our generation has already lost interest in reading words on paper, we have noticed that we still got a considerable number of people, young and old, who would still brave lines to score discounted books.
Also, thanks to publishers and authors who continue to come up with cool ways to engage people, a new generation of readers are being attracted to spend time at book fairs.
So, what really attracts this generation to go to book fairs? We came up with these five (5) reasons:
5. Book signing. For a bookworm, this got to be one of the most fulfilling events in the world. That excitement of actually meeting our favorite authors and getting signed copies of their books – just out of this world!
4. Meeting new friends. People from various parts of the country travel to take part in this usually once-a-year event. Going to book fairs presents the perfect opportunity to make new friends with people who share the same passion for reading.
3. Bonding with friends and family Attending book fairs have the potential to become a bonding moment with your old pals. Catching up with friends and buying books? Sounds like a plan. Surely, you wouldn’t want to pass up the chance to capture all these in photos, too.
2. Celebrity sightings. Yes, celebrities do release books, too. If you go to the biggest book fair in the country, catching a glimpse or maybe even having a picture taken with them might be possible.
1. Experience. Of course, despite what others may think, it’s also about the experience. It’s not typical to have book fairs with several authors in attendance get organized. It’s also not every day that we get to be in one place that looks like a huge library where we get to take home the books that we like.
Yes, there’s this vast network of information that can now be easily accessed by the mere touch of a button, so we get this preconceived notion that our generation has lost touch with what it’s like to open a book, flip through its pages, and read. But, the question is, is this millennial generation really that disinterested in reading books?
There may be others who prefer to read texts in digital form or what we now call eBooks, but there are people who still like to own physical copies of their favorite titles, visit bookstores, and attend book fairs.
The photo used in this article is courtesy of the Manila International Book Fair.
Do you have anything to add to this list? Comment them down below!Â
