Interest In Reading Books In Indonesia Increases, Big Bad Wolf Brings 5 Million New Books

Rows of new books that will be in Big Bang Wolf. (Dinno / VOI)

JAKARTA The interest in reading the Indonesian people has shown a positive trend in recent years. As awareness of the importance of literacy increased, many people are now looking at physical books as a source of knowledge and entertainment that provides a deeper reading experience.

This increase is not only seen among adults, but also in the group of children who are getting used to getting to getting to know books from an early age.

Physical books are considered capable of providing more benefits than digital reading, starting from reducing eye fatigue due to screens, increasing concentration, to helping readers to easier remember reading.

In addition, direct interaction with books such as turning a page or looking at illustrations in detail also provides its own satisfaction that cannot be replaced by a device screen.

This phenomenon is an important capital for Big Bad Wolf (BBW) Books Indonesia to expand literacy access to more areas in the country.

Director of BBW Indonesia, Mathius Wandi Budianto, said the increasing trend of reading interest was evident from the enthusiasm of the community in every BBW event in various cities.

"We are pleased to see the growing interest in reading, especially among children. This is a big motivation for us to provide easier and more affordable book access in more areas," said Wandi during the 2025 BBW Indonesia Partners Day event in Jakarta, recently.

According to him, the children's segment is the group with the most significant growth. International children's books such as sound book, touch and feel book, and pop-up book are now increasingly popular because they provide an interactive and educational reading experience.

This kind of physical book is also considered capable of maintaining children's focus better than reading through gadgets that easily cause distraction.

In the expansion plan towards 2026, BBW will focus on four main pillars, increase the number and scale of events in various cities, develop omnipresence-based digital channels, develop cross-sector partnerships, and strengthen literacy communities throughout Indonesia.

"Indonesia as an archipelagic country with great logistical challenges is our main focus. With the support of strategic partners in the fields of logistics, warehousing, and education, we are optimistic that this literacy movement can run continuously," said Wandi.

BBW targets 2026 as a new milestone for a more inclusive, collaborative, and modern national literacy movement to ensure that each layer of society has the same opportunity to enjoy quality books.

Even this year, if there are going to be 5 million new books that will be exhibited. Andrew Yap, Founder of the Big Bad Wolf (BBW) Books, conveyed the reason Jakarta has always been the main special home for BBW.

"We're back this year with more books, more activities, and more prizes. BBW is not only about buying books, but also about building a habit of reading that can change life and make it an everyday lifestyle to inspire and motivate. We want every visitor to feel reading is an exciting journey, not an obligation," he concluded.

BW Jakarta 2025 will take place from 23 October to 2 November 2025, every day at 09.00 22.00 WIB, and will be open 24 hours full on Saturday and Sunday.