Avid readers: Visitors browsing around at the Bookfest@Malaysia 2023. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Visitors to the Bookfest@Malaysia 2023 are spoilt for choice at the country’s largest trilingual book exposition, which has now made a triumphant comeback following a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For teacher Stella Jeganathan, 51, the book fair taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here was the perfect opportunity for her family of five to stock up on their desired reads before their flight home tomorrow to Sandakan, Sabah.
It is where Stella teaches and her husband Henry Savriamuthu, 57, works as a plantation manager while their three children, Cassilda Hanstell, 19, Bryan Hanstell, 16, and Azarias Hanstell, 15, attend school.
“We are here in Kuala Lumpur to visit family during the school holidays so we took the opportunity to visit this book fair as my son Bryan is a bookworm.
“Reading is important as it can expand children’s knowledge, open up their minds and give them good exposure so they will not be glued to the screen so much,” she said.
Senior executive Kerry Tay, 42, who came with her son Gerrard Ooi, nine, was on the lookout for Chinese story books, comics as well as art supplies.
“He likes reading, drawing, painting and colouring. It’s important to read because reading is better than playing with the phone and being on YouTube.
“With reading, children can gain knowledge,” said Tay, adding that the book fair, which is being held on a large scale, has many visitors, just like its previous pre-pandemic editions.
Sisters Fatimah Mazlan, 13, and Idah Mazlan, 14, from Rawang, Selangor were happy to secure new comic books in English.
“I like reading because it can give me new ideas when writing essays for school. I like reading manga,” said Fatimah.
Idah, who bought comic books and stationery, said she enjoys reading books with action and interesting storylines.
“I enjoy going to book fairs such as this as it allows me to explore and buy new books,” said Idah.
Bookfest@Malaysia 2023 is now on at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre until June 11 (10am to 10pm daily), featuring some 520 booths consisting of vendors from different countries. For more information and exciting deals, visit www.bookfestmalaysia.com.my or BookFest Malaysia’s official Facebook page.
