Book fair aims to promote reading habits
Book fair aims to promote reading habits
JAKARTA (JP): Children and parents flocked to book stalls at
the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta to buy cheap books
offered by 60 publishers at a two-day book bargain event, which
ended Sunday.
Parents and students over the weekend were seen carrying
bundles of plastic bags filled with bargain-priced books.
Children had an easy time persuading parents to buy books they
were interested in, regardless of the hot sun beating down on
them.
The event was organized by the Indonesian Publishers
Association (Ikapi) in conjunction with the association's 47th
anniversary.
Upi Sulandari, chairperson of the event's organizing
committee, said the sales of books, discounted by between 25 and
80 percent, were expected to help improve children's reading
habits.
"Children from low-income families can benefit from this event
because books sold here are very cheap," Upi said.
Bakri Junus, head of Ikapi's Jakarta branch, said that he
expected the public would take advantage of the event, because
book sales with substantial discounts were rarely held by
publishers.
PT Gramedia, the country's largest book publisher, for
example, sold the Indonesian translation of Jackie Collins'
Hollywood Wives for only Rp 1,000 (40 U.S. cents) and Margaret
Mitchell's Gone with the Wind for Rp 2,000.
PT Erlangga sold The Kennedy Dynasty for Rp 5,600, compared to
the ordinary price of Rp 11,200, while PT Intan Prawira sold
children's coloring books for Rp 300.
"Almost all of these books are old publications and publishers
prefer to get rid of them instead of storing them at warehouses,"
Bakri said.
Bakri also encouraged authors to write cheaper books for
children on Indonesian culture, tradition and development. Such
books were badly needed since existing translations, comics and
other publications on sale at book stores were not affordable for
children, especially those living in small towns, he said.
"Publishers should not only fill the demand of children living
in big cities, but also the need for cheaper books that personify
the entire existing culture of Indonesia," Bakri said.
He also said the publication of cheaper books was important
because the majority of the public still viewed books as
luxurious items. (10)