Reading promotion

Reading promotion

THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION OF LITERACY AND READING PROMOTION POLICIES SHOULD BE INCREASED

EU Member States have developed ambitious promotion strategies and activities to encourage reading, especially among the young. It is therefore recommended that a European dimension be systematically included in reading promotion strategies at local and national levels, and that the whole book chain be encouraged to ‘think European’.

A ‘European dimension’ can mean the inclusion of foreign and translated literature or authors in the programme of activities developed, or the use of national celebrities to promote foreign literature. Funding should be made available to book fairs, literary festivals and libraries to invite authors and translators and to develop activities.

For instance, the Jury of Children, Young Adults and Parents (Latvia) is a reading promotion programme based on a similar programme in the Netherlands. Around 30 titles, of which 50 % are by local authors and 50 % are translated fiction, are selected for each of five different age groups. Readers then vote for the title they liked most. To date at least two thirds of votes have gone to translated titles. This exposure to translated books also has a very positive effect on the creativity of local authors and helps them to understand needs of readers.

EURead

Founded in 2000, EURead is a consortium of European reading promotion organisations that believe that reading is a prerequisite for full participation in today’s media-led and culturally diverse society. EURead currently consists of 31 non-profit organisations from 22 European countries. The aim is to exchange knowledge, experiences and concepts, and to jointly develop new strategies for the promotion of reading. For instance, in November 2018, EURead launched its first pan-European reading campaign, ‘Europe reads’, and European book days are planned for 2022.(93)

Reading promotion activities can also be conducted in cooperation with different organisations across borders to enrich the experience offered to the audience and increase organisational capacities. For instance, Creative Europe supports the Libraries of Emotions.(94) This initiative brings together various organisations from across Europe to promote a new and innovative way of reading and to encourage bibliotherapy sessions in European public libraries. The project has two primary objectives: (a) to support the network of

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European public libraries as they adapt their ways of working to a digital environment, all while preserving their missions of literacy promotion, cultural diversity, fighting social discrimination and cultural heritage enhancement; and (b) to experiment with innovative ways to encourage reading among young people. This is based on a transdisciplinary approach mixing neuroscience, cognitive science, cultural activities, spatial design and digital tools.

Euregio Reads and the Euregio Student Literature Prize (95)

The Meuse–Rhine Euregion, consisting of Aachen, Liège Province, Belgian Limburg and southern Dutch Limburg, runs the Euregio Reads initiative to promote reading across linguistic and national borders. Six novels by contemporary authors are selected, two in French, two in Dutch and two in German, and each is available in all three languages at more than 80 participating libraries and bookshops. The six authors promote the books through a multilingual reading tour of the Euregion, with the translators also invited.

The Euregio Student Literature Prize is held as part of Euregio Reads. Young adults aged between 15 and 20 years from across the Euregion read the six books, attend the author readings and take part in discussions with literary critics, and then choose their favourite title from among the works. The aim is to celebrate authors and translators of contemporary literature, and to promote cross-border encounters and exchanges – all events are multilingual and allow young people from the different language areas to get to know each other. The prize has allowed more than 5 000 students to intensively study contemporary European literature and has brought over 100 high-profile authors to public readings in the region.