Ended last Sunday (September 21), the staging of the 35th Manila International Book Fair held propitiously. The fair took place at Function Room 5, SMX Convention Center in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. It is the country’s biggest and longest-running book fair that showcases the largest collection of literature.
The annual book fair is a gathering of booksellers, authors, publisher and readers celebrating the joy and knowledge each book brings. MIBF presented a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet the authors of their beloved books.
Over 150 publishers and booksellers attended the event including the best-selling young adult novel authors Jennifer Smith and Lissa Price who have their book signing at the National Book Store Booth. There are also several new titles that are launched during the book fair.
Irene Lloren, president of Primetrade Asia Inc., the MIBF organizers, told in a report that there is an estimated 100, 000 visitors who attended the five-day book fair. She added that MIBF remains a well-received yearly fair despite the growing patronage of digitized content.
Aside of the book signings and book launches, there were also other events that awaited the readers: special readings, cooking demonstrations, giveaways, fandom gatherings, quiz bee competitions and a lot of activities that enriched the reading awareness of the Filipino public.
The Best of Anime 2014 event was also held simultaneously with the book fair. It is another Primetrade Asia event that features cosplay events, special concerts, anime and fun-filled activities. It happened on September 20 to 21 at Function Rooms 3 and 4. It was well attended by otakus and anime lovers.
The 35th Manila International Book Fair was organized by Primetrade Asia, Inc. in partnership with Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc. (ACCI), Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc., (PBAI) and the Overseas Publishers Representatives Organization of the Philippines (OPRAP).