EURead, Europe’s leading network for reading and literacy promotion, will mark its 25th anniversary with a landmark Open Forum in Brussels. This high-level event will convene policymakers, innovators, researchers, educators, cultural leaders, advocates for social cohesion, and members of the public to examine the essential role of reading in fostering a more competitive, innovative, and prosperous Europe.
Discussions will focus on how Europe can effectively address literacy gaps, enhance background knowledge, and promote innovation in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and the recommendations outlined in the Draghi Report on European Competitiveness.
For a quarter of a century, EURead has united reading promoters from across Europe, sharing successful program designs and policy strategies to foster a culture of reading. As society’s attention shifts increasingly towards technology and innovations, the forum will examine why reading remains an essential pillar for personal development, economic growth, and democratic participation.
AGENDA
???? KBR – the Royal Library, Auditorium Hall, Mont des Arts 28, Brussels, Belgium
⏲️ 11th June, 2025 | 17.30–20.00
| 17.30 – 18.00 | Opening |
| Do you know what? keynote speech Bart Moeyaert Writer, Laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2019 | |
| 18.00 – 18.25 | On the Benefits of Reading Prominent speakers will discuss the importance of reading from a scientific perspective and how it shapes our lives and the future Rekindling the Joy in Reading and Reclaiming Critical Thinking and Empathy video Prof. Maryanne Wolf Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies The Benefits of Reading presentation Diana Gerald MBE Co-chair of EURead and CEO of BookTrust UK |
| 18.25 – 19.00 | How reading promotion influences, supports, and shapes societal change in Europe and beyond Reading promoters from three continents will showcase proven strategies for tackling socioeconomic disadvantages and supporting societal change EURead: Good practices from 27 European countries – Daniel Beeke – Network Manager of EURead and domain specialist at Stichting Lezen (The Netherlands) 20 Years of BoekStart Belgium – Lotte Baert – Iedereen Leest (Belgium) Early Years Bookgifting Across the Globe: Working in Different Societal Contexts – Marijke Bos – BoekStart (The Netherlands) – Izumi Satou – Japan Bookstart (Japan) – Lucía Guerrero Suárez – Leer en Familia/PUCP (Peru) |
| 19.00 – 19.40 | 25 Years of getting Europe reading: A Roadmap to a More Literate and Competitive Europe Bridging Gaps in Reading – developing a European approach to strengthen literacy, background knowledge, and innovation in the context of fulfilling the SDGs and implementing the recommendations of the Draghi Report – Michael Teutsch, Acting Director Directorate B – Youth, Education and Erasmus+ – Juliane Hencke, Director of IEA Hamburg – Ana Mineva, CEO and co-founder of DGLegacy – Maria Deskur, CEO of Universal Reading Foundation – Poland Moderator: Elaina Ryan, Children’s Books Ireland |
| 19.40 – 20.00 | For Those Who Learned to Read the Air A Special Address Sulaiman Addonia Writer, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature |
| Closing remarks by Valentina Stoeva Co-chair of EURead and founder of the Reading Foundation Bulgaria |
Open to public・Free entrance・Registration required: HERE
Speakers
Bart Moeyaert is one of Belgian’s most famous authors. He was barely nineteen when he made his debut in 1983. A master of the unsaid, his books are always received with great acclaim, and have been described by critics as poetic, cinematic and appealing to the senses. Moeyaert often deals with complex existential subjects, in an insightful and accessible way.
His work has won many awards at home and abroad and has been translated into twenty-nine languages. He became four times Finalist for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award: in 2002, 2012, 2020 and 2024, and is the Laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2019. (Source: flandersliterature.com)
Website: https://www.bartmoeyaert.com
Maryanne Wolf is a scholar, teacher, and global advocate for children and literacy. She directs the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA and the former John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University. She has authored over 170 scientific publications; Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain; Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century; and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital Culture.
She is co-author with Martha Denckla of the RAN/RAS naming speed tests, and developed the RAVE-O Intervention Program for all struggling readers. Her awards include the IDA and the Einstein Award from the Dyslexia Foundation; and the Walter Ong Award and the Alfred Korzybski Award for her work on the effects of different mediums on the intellectual development of the species. She was elected a permanent member of the Pontifical Academy of Science.
Website: https://www.maryannewolf.com
Michael Teutsch is Acting Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+ in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. The Directorate deals with policy development and implementation in the areas of schools and higher education, and in youth, as well with the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. The Directorate thus contributes to the realisation of a Union of Skills, European Education Area and the European Youth Strategy.
Mr. Teutsch also is the Head of Unit of the Erasmus+ coordination unit. He joined the Commission in 2001, to work on labour mobility issues in DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Before that, he had worked in the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and in research projects in Germany and Italy on the European structural funds, transport and environment policy.
As Director of IEA Hamburg, Juliane Hencke is responsible for the functional and personnel management in close cooperation with the IEA Hamburg Deputy Directors. She represents IEA Hamburg to external clients, partners, and stakeholders, and she is responsible for the continuous development of IEA Hamburg for IEA’s overall strategy.
IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) is an international cooperative of national research institutions, governmental research agencies, scholars, and analysts working to research, understand, and improve education worldwide.
Website: https://www.iea.nl | Latest publication: Why Boys May Need More Support In Building Their Reading Motivation
Ana Mineva is a serial tech entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of DGLegacy® – the digital legacy planning and inheritance app designed to meet the evolving needs of the digital age. With over 20 years of experience building digital businesses from idea to successful exit, she brings deep expertise across product development, marketing, engineering, and digital innovation.
Ana holds an MSc in Engineering and an Executive MBA, which she draws on to lead DGLegacy® in reshaping how people protect their assets and secure their loved ones’ future in the digital age. At its core, DGLegacy® is about more than asset protection — it’s about building financial literacy, background knowledge, and intergenerational continuity.
Born and raised in Bulgaria, Ana is a lifelong learner with a passion for simplifying the complex. Her work blends Silicon Valley–level innovation with European values of trust, transparency, and social good. Under her leadership, DGLegacy was recognized by TechCrunch as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Startups globally in 2024. She is also a mentor at Girls Gearing Up, supporting young women in developing the skills and confidence needed in the digital age — and to lead.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-mineva/ Website: https://www.dglegacy.com/about/
Sulaiman Addonia is a British-Eritrean-Ethiopian writer. His first novel, The Consequences of Love, was translated into over 20 languages. His second novel, Silence is My Mother Tongue, was published by Indigo Press (2019) and Graywolf (2020). His third novel, The Seers, was published by Prototype (2024) and released in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the U.S., and Canada.
Addonia currently lives in Brussels, where he has launched a Creative Writing Academy for Refugees and Asylum Seekers and the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival (In Exile). In 2021, he was awarded Belgium’s Golden Afro Artistic Award for Literature. In 2022, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Interview with Sulaiman Addonia: HERE
Speakers – Members of EURead and the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting
Diana Gerald MBE has been BookTrust’s Chief Executive since 2015. She is a Trustee of the Mohn Westlake Foundation – one of the UK’s largest grant givers in supporting disadvantaged children and young people in the arts, culture and education. She is Deputy Chair of Creative Education Trust, a network of schools in disadvantaged areas of the Midlands and East of England, and also Chair of the Bentley Wood Trust, an outstanding school in Stanmore. Diana joined BookTrust from the Arks Schools Group. Other previous roles include at the Young Foundation and in consultancy for local government. She began her career in the commercial sector at Boston Consulting Group. Diana is a co-chair of EURead. Website: https://www.booktrust.org.uk
Valentina Stoeva holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Sofia University) and a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations (New Bulgarian University). Since 2008, she has been actively promoting reading in Bulgaria. She is the founder and chairwoman of the Children’s Books Foundation (Bulgaria) and the Reading Foundation (Bulgaria). Valentina has been appointed as the Libraries’ Ambassador in Bulgaria. She is a a co-chair of EURead. Website: https://readingfoundation.bg
Since June 2024 Valentina is appointed as a co-chair of EURead.
Elaina Ryan holds a BA in Languages and Cultural Studies from University of Limerick and an MLitt in Publishing from University of Stirling. She has a background in children’s book publishing and is co-Artistic Director, with Niamh Sharkey, of Towers and Tales Children’s Book Festival in Lismore, County Waterford. Elaina has led the team in Children’s Books Ireland since 2013. Website: https://childrensbooksireland.ie
Daniel Beeke studied Dutch Literature at Utrecht University and started his career as high school teacher of Dutch Literature and Language. Since 2008 he works for the Dutch Reading Foundation (Stichting Lezen) as a domain specialist, working on high school projects and programs. He is also involved in the EURead network, as Network Manager, and in the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting, as part of the working group. Website: https://www.lezen.nl
Lotte Baert works at Iedereen Leest (Flemish Reading Foudation) since 2018. She works mainly for the early literacy programme Boekstart and is part of the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting working group. She holds a master degree in languages, communication and cultural management from the University of Antwerp.
Maria Deskur is the CEO of Fundacja Powszechnego Czytania (Universal Reading Foundation). She is an Ashoka Fellow and a Member of the Council For Public Benefit at the Prime Minister’s Office in Poland. Website: https://www.fpc.org.pl/eng/
Marijke Bos works at Stichting Lezen (Dutch Reading Foundation) since 2007. She is a specialist in early years reading promotion and is managing the Dutch early years bookgifting programme, BoekStart. She holds a Master Degree in Social Sciences. Website: https://www.lezen.nl
Izumi Satou is Trustee and Director of Programmes, Bookstart Japan. After introducing the UK’s Bookstart to Japan in 2000, she has led its development in a different social and cultural context, including founding and managing the implementing organisation. Izumi is part of the working group of the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting. Website: https://www.bookstart.or.jp/english/
Lucía Guerrero is the founder and director of Leer en Familia, a Peruvian initiative that promotes reading, language-rich environments, and joyful interactions from the earliest years of life. She is a faculty member at the Department of Education at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and a member of the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting. She advocates for every child’s right to grow up surrounded by stories, affection, and meaningful conversations from birth. Website: https://www.leerenfamilia.pe/