The Johor International Book Bazaar, held recently in Johor, attracted avid readers and families seeking a diverse range of books, from children’s literature on local customs to translated international classics. The event offered attendees an opportunity to explore titles beyond their usual selections, highlighting regional culture and broadening literary horizons.

Among the visitors were parents B. Preesha and K. Narvend, who used the bazaar to find books for their children. They purchased materials focusing on Indian weddings, traditional kuih, batik, and songket as educational tools to help their children understand cultural practices in a more accessible way. Both teachers, they noted the value of books in explaining traditions that can be difficult to convey through conversation alone. Narvend also appreciated the inclusion of local authors and books translated into Bahasa Malaysia (BM), including works from Korea and Japan, noting the variety and depth of offerings for different age groups.

The bazaar also showcased efforts to integrate technology with traditional reading to engage younger audiences. One feature included the Little Johor Explorer app, developed by Southern University College lecturer Shafika Mohd Suhaimi in collaboration with the Johor Library Corporation (PPAJ). The app uses a Community Authors module, allowing local storytellers to contribute narratives about Johor’s history and culture, which are then reviewed by PPAJ. To enhance the reading experience for children, artificial intelligence is employed to generate illustrations for the stories, which are kept concise and available in both English and BM.

Visitors expressed appreciation for the variety of books on offer, which were not always easily accessible in Johor. Sales operations executive Farini Ainan, who discovered the bazaar by chance, welcomed the presence of international titles, including those from the Philippines, and saw the event as a means to broaden readers’ perspectives. Similarly, 15-year-old student Alicia Goh, attending with friends, valued the opportunity to discover new and diverse books. She expressed hope for increased representation of English and Mandarin titles in future editions to accommodate multilingual readers.

The event also featured various complementary activities, such as author talks, storytelling sessions for children, heritage trails, radio broadcasts, exhibits of traditional Johor attire, and other family-oriented programming. Organizers aimed to foster a reading culture that embraces both local heritage and global narratives, providing a platform for community engagement and cultural education through literature.