Read. Seriously! Read. For Real. A broad invitation to join us in celebrating European Authors' Day is now open.
„"Be the change you want to see in the world" is an invitation for everyone to join in celebrating reading and human creativity. On the dedicated multilingual website www.readforreal.com, creators, bookstores and publishers, schools and preschools, libraries and community centers, businesses and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and parents—in short, everyone—will find an invitation to join in.
#ReadForReal is an international project run by a consortium of 7 organizations from 5 countries, led by the Polish Universal Reading Foundation. The great European festival of literature and creativity will take place every year from November 11 to December 12. Meetings with authors traveling between countries will take place in 43 countries associated with Creative Europe. The organizers encourage you to co-create this unprecedented celebration. Everyone can be a part of the celebrations – you can organize your own event or project promoting reading, get involved locally, join a book challenge, and much more. A variety of downloadable materials are available: logos, activity plans, posters, bookmarks, pendants, and more.
Already 27 countries have joined in preparing the celebrations. The organizations they designate will serve as the project's national headquarters, answering questions in their respective languages, supporting local event organization, and providing printed welcome materials for schools, libraries, bookstores, businesses, and local governments that sign up to host events. Contact details for the national coordinators are available to all interested parties on the website. www.readforreal.com.
Why is it worth getting involved?
#ReadForReal #ReadSeriously: stay up to date. The program organizers emphasize the importance of direct contact with literature, experiencing it firsthand, authentically, through meetings with authors. Reading aloud has a proven, significant impact on children's brain development and their ability to concentrate. This is especially important in today's world, intoxicated by the power of addictive apps and seeking human connection, and in the face of alarmingly declining levels of critical thinking skills.
#ReadForReal #ReadForReal: be a leader. The free materials (graphics, posters, lesson plans, bookmarks and other gadgets) provide a huge scope for the imagination, creativity and agency of event organizers, giving them the tools to become important leaders in their communities.
#ReadForReal #ReadSeriously: take care of the future. 75 million European adults lack adequate reading comprehension skills. This prevents many of them from participating in economic and social life – a huge loss for individuals, communities, and the world.,
and for democracy as a whole. Each of us can influence this state of affairs in our communities. Research confirms that reading has the power to equalize life's opportunities.
#ReadForReal #ReadForReal: meet a superhero. Creativity is a key defining characteristic of humanity. It is creativity that allows us to create new ideas, solutions, products, and systems. Book creators: writers, illustrators, graphic designers, and translators, are, from this perspective, the embodiment of the quintessence of humanity, people whose creativity inspires thought, change, and progress. An encounter with an Author is an encounter with a superhero.
Who is behind this?
Celebrations around the European Authors' Day under the slogan #ReadForReal #CzytajSerio are organized by a consortium led by the Polish Universal Reading Foundation and with partners: the National Library (Poland), Stiftung Lesen (Germany), Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire (France), Chetene (Bulgaria), international partners: the Federation of European Publishers and EURead. The consortium will continue the existing activities of Creative Europe, focusing on three pillars:
- annual celebration of Authors' Day as part of the #ReadForReal campaign,
- cyclical workshops empowering professionals and networks that promote reading
- international conferences held once a year, which will create space for reflection and building change.
"Be the change you want to see in the world – after Gandhi – this is probably the best summary of what we want to do together with hundreds of thousands of teachers, librarians, booksellers and creators
across Europe. We are all part of this mission – everyone can make an impact. Our dream is for everyone to feel invited to co-create and have fun creating #ReadForReal #CzytajSerio with us," summarize the consortium members.
www.readforreal.com www.readforreal.eu
Instagram: @read.forreal Facebook: READ.
