Saturday, September 13, 2008
THE MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR OPENS TODAY
These photos were taken today, Friday, at the 29th Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia complex.
With "Words Without Borders" as this year's theme, the fair showcases the largest and most varied collection of literature, textbooks, educational supplements, general references, religious and inspirational titles, self-help books, management books, Filipiniana, coffee table books, popular novels, children’s books, art books, graphic novels, rare and hard-to-find titles, magazines, audio and e-books, multimedia, teaching supplies and services, publishers’ technology, and travel materials.
Besides being able to buy all the books you want under one roof and getting discounts on hundreds of titles, there are planned events such as seminars and workshops, storytelling sessions, book launchings, contests and other learning and fun-filled activities for you and the entire family. Meet world-class publishers, booksellers, authors, writers and illustrators. Watch film-showings, concerts and even your favorite characters come to life. More than 300 exhibitors are participating in this year's five-day event.
For more information, visit the fair's Web site, or call 896-0682 or 896-0661.
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
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Labels: manila events
posted by Señor Enrique at 6:51 AM
14 Comments:
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JayAshKal said... Wow, love those Filipiniana books, and they are so affordable. I find these books nowadays quality made and well written.
Excellent slide presentation. It looks like a 360 degree view of one of the stores (?).-
nutart said...
very nice sweeping slide presentation, Eric! Shows how prolific the publishing houses have been!
All I can do is drool. I still have some "treasures" which I had gotten/invested on from previous book fairs. Since I haven't been doing the rounds for previous years, has the National Bookstore still come out with its version with cut-price book sale during this same time of the Book Fair?-
said... hi there eric!
i haven't visited your blog for quite some time and i am, as always, am engrossed at reading through your posts. i see you visited the book fair. wow, so many titles. though i haven't visited it yet, i see that there's a real wealth of new titles as can be gleaned from the slideshow you made. thank you so much for this small glimpse into the fair.
i made a mental note of which titles would be interesting to check when i visit my favorite bookshops.
i just got word just this morning that all the books we've done at www.canvas.ph have been named as finalists for book of the year something-something. :-) hehehe, yes, i am making yabang but it's kinda inspiring for us to keep on striving to come up with new titles every year.
cheers!!-
Señor Enrique said...
Firstly, I had originally posted this entry last night, but upon visiting BW's site:
http://bwzone.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/200th-post-and-counting/
I was so impressed by the slide show he used to go with his recent entry that I decided to do the same; Thus, I reposted this entry with the slide show this morning.
However, in the process, I lost a comment by EM she had posted last night. I have, therefore, plucked it from the original message, and now pasting it here:
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EM has left a new comment on your post "THE 29TH MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR IS HERE":
Wow! Books galore! I love books and my daughter has also taken a penchant of it too. Book fairs are like a treasure island... you'll always find something to treasure forever.
happy book hunting Senior!
Posted by EM to WISH YOU WERE HERE at September 12, 2008 10:28 PM
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Went to the fair on its first day of opening, EM, at 10am when it opened just so I could avoid the crowd I expected this event will attract. And within a couple of hours, got the books I wanted, except for two titles :(
I left just in time before it started swelling with people :)
Glad your daughter in into reading! I'm disheartened that not too many local kids are into reading books, which would be to their great disadvantage later on life.-
Señor Enrique said...
That's right, Mario! The quality of our locally produced books nowadays have certainly improved by leaps and bounds. The cover designs, too, are something to marvel about.
I got the idea of featuring a slide show from BW's The Warped Zone site. It does kinda look like a 360-degree view, but they were actually scenes from the various locations inside that humongous SMX exhibition hall.
Thanks, Mario!-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Bernadette,
I had just finished and passed on to a friend my copy of "The Time Traveler's Wife" which I purchased from the book fair two weeks ago. It took me two years to read it ... hehehe.
The National Bookstore has a huge space within the exhibit hall with many titles discounted. However, it only carried imported books because many local publishers have exhibits of their own in this fair.
Same with Power Books. Only books from foreign publishers.
Sadly, I didn't find the two titles I had been searching for for the longest time:
1) The Best Philippine Short Stories of the 20th Century - edited by Isagani Cruz
and
2) Manila, My Manila by Nick Joaquin (paperback or hardbound), which I want to send to NYC as gifts.
If anyone should know where I can find these books, please let me know. Thanks!-
Señor Enrique said...
Wow! Congratulations, Daniel! I was hoping that I'd find a CANVAS booth at the fair. But from what I was told by the folks at at one booth, the cost to join this event as an exhibitor is rather steep.
You'd better take a trip over at the fair even if just to browse around. I'm sure you'll have a grand time :)
Thanks, Daniel!-
nutart said...
If I'm really hot on a book, Eric, I usually try to find out who the publisher is. One time, I saw two books I was hunting for a long time at the La Solidaridad. I once saw Manila by Night at the National Bookstore...gosh but that was a long time ago. Maybe I even bought the book and someone forgot to return it to me!..Anyway, UP bookstore can also come out with hard-to-find books.
But then, i have been an islander a long time already...:-)!-
Señor Enrique said...
I spoke to a Bookmark representative at the fair, Bernadette. Nick Joaquin's Manila', My Manila" is published by them; however, a permission for reprint seems elusive since they're unable to locate a living relative of the author who will sign the permission.
As for "The Best Philippine Short Stories of the 20th Century," have no idea about its publisher, though I know these stories were Palanca Award winners. A friend has gladly offered to loan me his copy but I'm hindered by my peculiar relationship with books: I have no idea if I'd finished reading it within a socially-acceptable time frame, or I may not even start reading it at all until the mood strikes. Just like with "The Time Traveler's Wife," which I began to read about two years after I've purchased it ... hehehe.
Oh well, if it's meant to be ...
By the way, check out this blog entry I'd posted many moons ago:
http://senorenrique.blogspot.com/2005/10/featured-humor-by-groucho-marx.html
Enjoy your Sunday!-
nutart said...
Thanks again, Eric! Totally enjoyed surfing on Groucho Marx!
I was in between shifting courses and totally off-sync my former required subjects I would play hookey and while my hours away at the main Library. There among dusty books in the archives were two books dedicated to the movies of the Marx Brothers complete with their manuscripts! They were totally hilarious!
Groucho Marx like Mark Twain is icons/giants of American wit!-
nutart said...
sorry for the horrible grammar!
Groucho Marx, like Mark Twain, is definitely an icon/giant of American Wit.
Thanks!-
Señor Enrique said...
That's quite all right, Bernadette. You should see the typos and grammar faux pas I've committed. Problem is I think faster than I type; hence, the errorpladen comments I often make at fellow bloggers' sites :)
The Marx Brothers were indeed legendary. They used to show their old flicks on Friday nights on some obscure channel in NYC, and some friends and I would sometimes plan a party to watch them.
Grouchy Marx also hosted a zany quiz show, "You Bet Your Life," that ran from 1950-1961; reruns of which were broadcast late at night during the '90s, and I watched most of it ... hehehe.
The Marx grew up in New York's Yorkville section where I lived during my early years in NYC. Some really old folks in the neighborhood referred to them as Minnie's boys (Minnie being their mom).-
niceheart said...
This is one event I still have to see happen here in Winnipeg. There would be small book fairs here and there but not as big as this.
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Señor Enrique said...
Hi Irene,
I don't think there is really a need for a similar fair in Winnipeg. Let's not forget that it's quite easy to get any title from one of your local bookstores or online. Here in Manila is quite different. At times, a certain title may not be carried in all branches of a major store.
This international book fair, by the way, is not only for individual or family consumers, but institution buyers also for schools, libraries, and etc. So you can imagine the purpose it serves.
Nonetheless, as large as it is, there were still a couple of titles I was unable to find :(
