Manila Int'l Book Fair returns for 34th year

MANILA, Philippines - The country's biggest and longest-running book event returned on Wednesday at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for a week-long exhibit for book lovers and literary enthusiasts.

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), now on its 34th year, is attended by about 85,000 participants made up of local and foreign publishers, wholesalers, retailers, book lovers and collectors, librarians, authors, publishers’ representatives and readers of varying interests.

"The Book Fair was founded to bring books closer to the Filipino people. Three decades later, we still promote good reading habits, and provide a venue for an exchange of ideas among the players in the industry ” said Irene Lloren, president of MIBF organizer Primetrade Asia. 

The annual event started in 1980 as Bookfair Manila, a month-long, open air exhibit. Six years after its launch, Primetrade organized special events to draw more participants, eventually moving in to bigger venues. It was given its new name in 2003.

Exhibitors for this year’s MIBF include 702 / DZAS, A - Z Direct Marketing, Inc., Abiva Publishing House, Inc., Academic Book Sales, Inc., Adarna House, Inc., Alpha Stream Marketing, Anvil Publishing, Inc., Asean Book Publishers Association (ABPA), Asia Pacific Publishers Association (APPA), Asia/Pacific Circulation Exponents, Inc., Asiatype Distribution, Inc., Ateneo de Manila University Press, Australian Publishers Association, Bangladesh Publishers & Booksellers Association, Bayard Assumption Media Foundation, Belview Co., Inc., Biblica Publishing & Distribution Foundation, Inc., Book Trends Enterprises, Book Wagon (Pahina, Inc.), Bookware Publishing Corporation, Business Mirror, Business World, C & E Publishing, Inc., Catholic Book Center, CD Books International, Inc., Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd., Central Book Supply, Inc., Christian Growth Ministries, Inc., Christian Literature Crusade, Church Strengthening Ministry, Inc., Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc., Creative Mind Books Center, Cunanan Map House, Diwa Learning Systems Inc., EDCA Publishing & Distributing Corp., Edcrisch International, Inc., Edupower Publishing Corporation, Eknowledge Innovative Solutions, Inc., Elsevier (Singapore), Emerald Headway Distributors, Inc., F & J de Jesus, Inc., Fastbooks Educational Supply Inc., Felta Multi Media, Inc., Filway Marketing, Inc,, Forefront Book Co., Inc., Fujian Publishing Industry Trading Corp., and Fully Booked.

Also showcasing books and educational materials are Global International Education Link Enterprises Co., Golden Books Services, Inc., Goethe Institut, Goodwill Trading Co., Inc., Goodword Books, Great Books Trading, Grolier Scholastic - Cyclophil Division, Gunnar Lie & Associates Ltd, Happy Science Philippines, Hearshaper/Lighthouse Educational Corporation, High Access Line Phils. Corp., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, IBC Book Consolidators, Inc., IBON Foundation, Inc., Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing Inc., Indonesian Publishers Association, Instituto Cervantes, International Buddhist Progress Society, Japan Bok Publishers Association, Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., Katha Publishing Co., Inc., Korean Publishers Association, Kumon Philippines, Inc., Libtech Source Philippine’s (an affiliate of iGroup), Lighthouse Inspirational Books and Gifts, Inc., Linar Educational Materials, Inc., Logos Publications, Inc., Lyric Piano and Organ Corp., Malaysian Book Publishers Association, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp., Maxcor Publishing House Inc., Megatexts Phil., Inc., Mind Mover Publishing House, Inc., Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mongolian Printing Association, MSA Group, Inc., National Book Development Board, National Book Foundation, National Book Store, Inc., National Historical Commission of the Phils., New Century Books, Navigator Ministries, Inc., New Day Publishers, OMF Literature Inc., and Overseas Publishers’ Representatives Association of the Philippines (OPRAP).

Rounding out the list of exhibitors are Paulines, Philippine Bible Society, Philippine Christian Book Store (PCBS)/Philippine Christian Literature, Inc., Philippine Educational Publishers Association, Philmont Academic Solutions, Inc., Phoenix Educational Systems, Inc., Precious Pages Corp., PSICOM Publishing Inc., Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, Publishers Association of China, Rarebook Enterprises, Reader's Knowledge Bookstore, Rex Book Store, Inc., Shepherd House Publishers, Inc., Shepherd's Voice Publications, Inc., Sinag Tala Publishers, Sinagpore Book Publishers Association, Sri Lanka Publishers Association,  St Pauls, Summit Media, The Ramakrishna Society of the Philippines, Inc., Tradewinds Books, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, University of the Philippines Press, UPNG Press and Bookshop, Urantia Book Fellowhip, Vibal Group of Companies, Vietnam Publishers Association, Word & Life Publications, WS Pacific Publications, Inc., Blue Silver and Black Marketing, Conrey Specialty Foods, Inc. & Ehje’s Peanut Butter, Cosmos Bazar Inc., Five Senses Educational Materials, Gentle Star Trading Corporation, Jevzam's Enterprise, LPI Rack Range Phils. Corp., Mindwerks – The Toy Shoppe, The Brain Audiovisual Corp. and Valiant Paper Asia-Pacific Corporation.

The exhibit runs from Sept. 11 to 15 and opens at 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.