[1] It initially moved between locations until the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur became its official venue.

The "National Book Exhibition" as it was called was then held at the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly (KLCAH).

[3] It was renamed to the "Malaysian Book Festival" in 1982, and was officially launched at Tunku Canselor Hall, University of Malaya.

[4] This was criticized by event organizers due to its location having poor accessibility in transportation and lack of public utilities.

[13][14] Various international publishing companies such as Oxford University Press, Elsevier, John Wiley participated in the event.