EURead, a coalition of the continent’s most influential organisations committed to reading and literacy, called on Europe’s leaders to recognise the ability to read as a fundamental human right and as essential to the protection of democracy.
The six-point Statement on Reading and Literacy draws on extensive evidence which shows the widespread impact of being able to read and reading regularly on the ability of individual citizen’s to fulfil their potential, participate in society and identify fake news. The statement also calls for further investment in book gifting programmes for families with young children, school and public libraries and in reading promotion as being essential for the development of critically literate citizens.
The statement was announced at the EURead Annual General Meeting in Athens where 21 organisations from over 15 countries participated from across the continent which was followed by an open forum on “Literacy and Democracy in the Era of Technology and Information: Facts, Challenges, Strategies,” organized in light of the EU elections. Guest speakers at the AGM and forum included Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD, Andrew Kay, CEO of World Literacy Foundation, Prof. Adriaan van der Weel of Leiden University, Prof. Venetia Apostolidou of Aristotle University, Thessaloniki and Marc Lambert CEO of Scottish Book Trust.
In launching the Statement on Reading and Literacy, Dr Jörg F. Maas, Chair of EU Read, said:
“The contribution of reading to the defence of democracy and the functioning of society in so many different ways is grossly underestimated. Ensuring that the citizens of Europe can not only read, but can read critically and love reading is fundamental to sustaining European values for future generations. Governments at regional, national and pan-European level must take action but so must a wide range of other social actors. Reading is not just an issue for ministries of education and culture but for everyone who cares about the future of Europe. We must come together to protect our way of life.”
We, the EURead members, call on all politicians at both the national and EU levels to support reading and literacy by rethinking their importance for the well-being of all citizens and the preservation of our vibrant and robust democratic societies.
We, the member organisations of EURead representing 34 state, NGO and publishing bodies from 23 countries across the continent call on European leaders at regional, national and supranational level to recognise the foundational role that reading plays in the development of individual citizens, in the operation of a thriving economy and in helping to ensure the functioning of modern democracies.
We are specifically calling for recognition of and action on the following principles.
The ability to read and to read critically is essential to personal development and a fundamental human right.
It is widely evidenced that reading regularly for pleasure improves mental health and well-being, correlates with achievement across the curriculum, improves social mobility and enables participation in society. PISA defines reading as “understanding, using, reflecting on, and engaging with written texts in order to achieve one’s goals, develop one’s knowledge and potential, and participate in society.” Because of its widespread impact on individuals’ lives, learning to read and to love reading is a fundamental right.
2. The ability to read underpins the functioning of our society in many dimensions and, as such, is everyone’s concern.
Having citizens who can read to the best of their ability can improve economic performance, enable better health outcomes, enhance social mobility and improve social cohesion. Making sure that the citizens of Europe are regular readers is a matter of concern for a wide variety of state and non-state actors outside the confines of the education and culture sectors. This includes organisations active in the business and commercial world, healthcare and regional development sectors amongst others.
3. Having citizens who can read critically is essential if we are to protect our democracies.
In an era of disinformation, the ability to interpret information and assess the credibility of statements is essential to the functioning of modern democracies. The promotion of high levels of critical literacy should be a priority for governments and for EU members should form part of the Defence of Democracy package.
4. Reading needs to be part of family life from a child’s earliest days and governments should further invest in Early Years book gifting programmes.
There is widespread scientific evidence of the importance of the first 1000 days for a child’s development and further evidence of the critical role that reading with young children can play in language acquisition and emotional attachment with their parent or carer. We know that children who are read to when young are more likely to go on to read themselves later. We believe that no child should miss out on the opportunity this presents and that government should further invest in well-evidenced book gifting programmes. Book gifting programmes should form part of the European Child Guarantee.
5. Access to a wide range of books, for example through kindergartens, school libraries and through libraries in the community, staffed by skilled librarians, is essential to fostering a love of reading and needs financial support.
Every citizen of a European country from birth onwards would benefit from access to diverse reading materials of all kinds and in different formats as this helps the acquisition and maintenance of regular reading habits. Having school and community libraries, staffed by information professionals who can help people discover books they will love, is a critical part of our reading infrastructure.
6. Reading promotion by a wide range of players needs to be supported.
People need encouragement to read, and this is particularly true for those who have the most to gain from reading regularly. Reading promotion programmes which draw on the expertise of the state and NGOs as well as the intellectual capital of authors, illustrators, publishers and booksellers require sustained investment over time in order to effect changes in behaviour. Whilst these actors may lead on promotional activity, it is the responsibility of every element of society to signal that reading is something which is highly valued.
EURead Statement on Reading and Literacy is available as pdf in different languages:
For the 61st time, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024 will attract publishers, authors, illustrators, and book lovers from all over the world. While the book fair is dedicated to the development of a vital industry, most professionals in the book industry are aware of the declining reading skills of both children and adults.
PISA results provide scientific proof of this downward trend, sometimes referred to as the reading crisis. While Bologna is filled with great new books each year, the question remains: what if no one reads them? What if books become a relic of the past in the future?
From 9:30 to 10:20 on April 9, 2024, during a panel discussion in the Authors’ Café (Hall 30, Bologna Fiere), reading promoters from both inside and outside the publishing industry will shed light on this question.
Moderated by Daan Beeke (Stichting Lezen / EURead network manager), the panelists will discuss whether reading promotion could be a solution and how publishers can play a role in this process.
“Bologna Children’s Book Fair gives us a great opportunity to spotlight reading promotion. To ensure all children read and to combat illiteracy, we must address this issue here and now, seeking comprehensive solutions and stable partnerships across all sectors,” says Mr. Beeke.
During the panel discussion, Elaina Ryan (Children’s Books Ireland), Lovisa Fhagher Logothetis (Bonnier Family Foundation, Sweden), and Anna Zdrojewska-Zywiecka (Mamania/Relacja sp. z o.o. Publishing Group, Poland) will shed light on this question. Attendees will also learn more about what lies at the core of reading promotion.
If you are interested in this topic and are attending the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024, join us for a cup of coffee and a lively discussion on the future of reading and books!
All visual materials for the event are created by Valerie Weilheim.
About the panelists:
Elaina Ryan
Elaina grew up in Wexford and Waterford. She 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.
Lovisa Fhager Logothetis
At the Bonnier Family Foundation Lovisa Fhager Logothetis leads the work with several reading promotion methods, one that aims to get young people to read aloud to younger children during the first week of the summer holidays. Lovisa is an expert in children’s rights. She holds a master’s in political science and has a background in organizations Amnesty International and Unicef and is part of several different expert networks for children’s rights. She previously led a civil society organization that worked on equality issues that distributed over a million books to Swedish children and youths for free.
Anna Zdrojewska-Zywiecka
Anna studied Cultural Studies at the University of Warsaw and the University of Amsterdam. She is also an MBA graduate of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. In 2010 she founded Mamania publishing house that specializes in parenting and children’s books. Anna and her company are among the founders of the Universal Reading Foundation. The foundation is supporting children’s development and supporting adults in their parenthood, showing the great importance of reading in both those areas.
Daan Beeke
Daan 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 and in the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting, as a network manager.
Graphic design:
Valerie Weilheim
Valerie holds a degree in Literature from the Universidad Central de Venezuela (Magna Cum Laude, 2019). She works as an editor, illustrator and reading promoter. In Venezuela she has been a workshop leader for Rana Encantada since 2010, is part of the evaluation committee for children’s and young adult books of Banco del Libro and is the co-founder of the fanzine publisher Perro Amorfo (2017). She also collaborates with the digital magazine Pez Linterna and the Asociación Artística-Sociocultural Mestiza (San Sebastian).
The 2024 Day of European Authors, initiated by the European Commission, took place on March 25, 2024. Teachers, librarians, students and book lovers from across Europe came together to celebrate the crucial role of writers, poets, translators, and illustrators in shaping the cultural diversity and richness of European literature.
Screenshot from the website of the European Commission – Day of European Authors
Among the various activities, the European Commission organised a conference in Leuven, Belgium, bringing together key stakeholders in culture, education, reading, and literacy to discuss potential solutions to the declining reading skills among European citizens.
The conference commenced with opening remarks by Ms Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, who said that “1 in 4 fifteen-year-olds don’t have the appropriate reading skills in the European Union”.
Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth(Photo: EURead)
During the first panel, moderated by Elaina Ryan(CEO Children’s Books Ireland), panelists Dr. Dirk Hastedt(Executive Director, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievements (IEA) and Dr. Tiziana Mascia(Adjunct Professor of Children’s Literature at the University of Urbino and Representative of the European Literacy Policy Network (ELINET) highlighted issues related to declining reading abilities based on assessment surveys like PIRLS and PISA, as well as the lack of motivation for reading among children.
“We talk about a lost generation to COVID but what about the lost generation from not reading?”, asked Dr. Hastedt.
Elaina Ryan (Children’s Books Ireland/EURead)Valentina Stoeva (Children’s Books / Reading Foundation Bulgaria / EURead)Dr. Dirk Hastedt (IEA)Right to left: Elaina Ryan, Dr. Dirk Hastedt, Dr. Tiziana Mascia, Valentina Stoeva
Pledging for a common understanding and definition of what reading is, Valentina Stoeva(Chairperson of Reading Foundation Bulgaria and representative of EURead network) discussed the work of reading and literacy promoters. She underscored the critical role of families, kindergarten teachers, and librarians in both public and school libraries. Stoeva emphasized the need for support, based on research and carefully selected, high-quality books, to effect change in Europe’s reading landscape.
“Reading is a basic human right, and although it is not guaranteed by nature that individuals will be able to learn to read, we as a society must work on supporting everyone to become a reader, if we want to preserve the core democratic values and ensure that no one is left behind.” – said Valentina Stoeva.
The second panel, moderated by Daan Beeke(Domain Specialist at Stichting Lezen and Network Manager at EURead), delved into the importance of families, librarians, and reading promoters in shaping children’s interests from an early age, thereby preparing them for school and life. Presentations included the Flemish Reading Plan by Noa Heyndrickx (Literatuur Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium) and insights from Simon Bequoye (Iedereen Leest, Flanders, Belgium) on the significance of initiatives like BookStart and the role of libraries in providing access to books for families.
Daan Beeke (Stichting Lezen/EURead) and Olena Odynoka (Ukrainian Book Institute)Right to left: Daan Beeke, Laura Guindal Martinez, Benjamin Kesteloot
Benjamin Kesteloot(Director, Médiathèque départementale du Pas-de-Calais, France) and Laura Guindal Martínez(Deputy Director General for Coordination of Libraries at the Ministry of Culture, Spain) shared some insights of the projects they are developing in the field of reading. Special focus in this panel was put on Ukraine, with the keynote and thought provoking speech on the importance of “books as shelters for the mind” by Olena Odynoka(Deputy Director for International Cooperation, The Ukrainian Book Institute).
The third panel featured insights from three young individuals who shared their perspectives on reading and the curriculum.They highlighted the importance of encounters with authors and shared their personal experiences as avid readers, which often differ from the interests of their peers.
Right to left: Laerke Olsen (Moderator), Srishti Karoor Sabarinath (Denmark), Matteo Trizio (Germany/Bulgaria), Noe Hoffman-Zarecki (Poland)Srishti and Matteo
The second day of the conference saw fruitful discussions on various topics including the book sector, literary pedagogy, and promoting reading in the digital age. Key messages emerged, emphasizing:
The importance of early reading and shared reading for pleasure among parents and children, including the Early Years Bookgifting programmes.
The crucial role of reading promoters in supporting families, healthcare service employees, and educators with advice and books.
The significance of libraries, both public and school, and the need for support from national and local governments to ensure access to new books and knowledgeable librarians.
Closing the gender gap in reading by publishing stories that appeal to both boys and girls.
Looking ahead to the 2024 European Parliament elections, the conference participants expressed optimism about the positive impact of the event on the future of the European Union and Europe as a whole.
We welcomed new membersLibranda (Spain), Kitabistan (Azerbaijan), the Universal Reading Foundation (Poland) and the Reading Foundation (Bulgaria) and grew to 35 member organisations from 23 countries. You can read about their good work at our newly launched website – the launch of it was another highlight of 2023.
A big success was our Annual General Meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. Our AGM is still at the core of our activities as a network, helping our members to learn from each other and be inspired. New to this AGM was a press conference, which served the purpose of raising awareness about the importance of reading in Bulgaria.
But we did not only meet at our own main event: some EURead members are active contributors to the regularly held online meetings of the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting. Please visit their website to learn more about those online meetings.
Our members also participated in important events across Europe: EURead members organised, moderated and/or participated in presentations and panel discussions at events like the World Literacy Summit, the Bologna Bookfair, the Day of European Authors conference, the Literacy Conference in Riga and the Frankfurter Buchmesse.
EURead also signed the Ljubljana Manifesto, and was represented at the launch in Ljubljana.
And yet we should not only look back at what EURead did as a network, but what all EURead members did and are doing in their own countries. Please stay tuned and we will keep you updated about their and our own activities.
Because 2023 made it very clear that reading promotion is essential for healthy societies, and we need to keep up the good work, both at a national and at a European level.
Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Commissioner Iliana Ivanova
15.11.2023
Dear Commissioner Ivanova,
First of all, I would like to congratulate you for becoming Commissioner for Education, Youth, Sports and Culture – one of the key responsibilities to shape the Europe of tomorrow. We wish you and your team lots of success and a portion of fortune which is always needed for lasting and sustainable impact.
I am also writing today as CEO of the German Reading Foundation and Chair of EURead, the European network for reading promotion and literacy, representing 35 organisations and foundations from 23 countries across Europe to express our concern about the visibility and importance of the lack of reading competence and literacy in Europe.
More than 73 million adult Europeans cannot properly read and write.
More than one fourth of all children in Europe leave primary school without having the reading competencies they should obtain.
More than 4 out of 10 families do not read aloud to their children at home.
More than 23 percent of youth lack the reading competence they need to start in a successful life.
We as EURead members believe and are committed to change this: in each of our countries and across Europe for a better future of each child – but also for a better future of Europe.
Therefore, we have been quite euphoric about the European Commission’s decision last year to initiate and celebrate the Day of European Authors – organized by the Creative Europe – Culture team. Various European networks have been invited to contribute ideas including libraries, booksellers, authors, translators and reading promotion and literacy organisations like EURead.
Despite the fact that we see value in bringing actors from different areas together, we felt a clear disappointment that the Creative Europe team expected us to contribute to the Day of European Authors but being unable to cover costs for important events, structures and occasions and campaigns.
We would have wished to see a clearer and measurable commitment from the European Commission to not only bring together authors from different countries and languages, but to put more efforts and financial commitments for reading promotion and literacy across Europe. Because without these important competencies, there will be shortly and in the near future no need to support authors, booksellers and libraries anymore when the diminishing demand and needs of young people for books and stories continues in the way it currently does.
We would like to encourage you and the European Commission to put a much stronger emphasis and financial support to reading promotion and literacy programs and campaigns.
The Day of European Authors is maybe one occasion to shed light on the need to invest more in reading and literacy. Europe needs far more initiatives and lasting commitment to overcome the devastating and alarming figures about the literacy rates of children, youths and adults in Europe.
Issued on the 10th of October 2023 at a special press conference in the capital of Slovenia,the Ljubljana Manifesto on Higher Level Reading highlights the importance of book reading in the digital age.
Higher-level reading exercises metacognition and cognitive patience, expands our conceptual capacities, trains cognitive empathy and perspective-taking. These social skills are indispensable for informed citizens in a democratic society, the Manifesto emphasises. It calls for support of these skills from governments and society in general.
The Ljubljana Manifesto was written by four reading and publishing researchers: André Schüller-Zwierlein, University of Regensburg, Germany; Anne Mangen, University of Stavanger, Norway; Adriaan van der Weel, Leiden University, Netherlands, and Miha Kovač, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The Manifesto is supported and signed by the German Academy of Language and Poetry, the International Publishers Association (IPA), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), PEN International, the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY), the members of the European literacy network EURead, and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). In Slovenia, the Manifesto is supported by the Slovenian Book Agency.
The document will be published today by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany), Le Monde (France; online edition), Público (Portugal), Népszava (Hungary), Latvijas Avīze (Latvia), Dennik (Slovakia) and Delo (Slovenia).
During the press conference at Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, the authors of the Manifesto, along with special guests, discussed the significance of higher-level reading in the digital era. They highlighted its role in training analytical and critical thinking, fostering cognitive patience, and nurturing empathy – vital social skills for citizens in a democratic society.
Among the speakers in the Agenda were: Assist. Prof. Asta Vrečko (Minister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia), Jose Borginho (Secretary General of the International Publishers Association), Anne Bergmann-Tahon (Director of the European Publishers Association), Daan Beeke (Dutch Reading Foundation; EURead Network Manager), Prof. Adriaan van der Weel (Leiden University; co-author of the Manifesto) and Prof. Miha Kovač (University of Ljubljana; co-author of the Manifesto and curator of the Slovenian program at the Frankfurter Buchmesse).
From left to right: Jose Borginho, Daan Beeke, Anne Bergmann-Tahon, Adriaan van der Weel, Minister Asta Vrečko, Miha Kovač
In his speech, Daan Beeke pointed out that:
‘Members of EURead know that reading is the key to a better society. Reading, to us, is a basic right.’
He briefly discussed three important themes from the Manifesto: turning the tide of declining reading skills, reconsideration of the role of higher-level reading in the digital era and emphasizing the necessity of resilient readers who are well-versed in higher-level reading for a thriving democratic society.
Beeke reflected on these themes from the perspective of the reading promoters, who are members of the EURead network. He emphasised the importance of early bookgifting programs, which lay the foundation for higher-level reading later in life.
‘Higher-level reading at a later age, can only be achieved when we start with the very, very young. And that means we need to bring books to babies and toddlers, and help their parents to let their child grow up in a language rich environment.’
By signing the Manifesto, EURead hopes to help raise awareness that the challenge we are facing is very urgent.
The Ljubljana Manifesto is one of the pillars of Slovenia’s Guest of Honour program at the Frankfurter Buchmesse. For information about the planned events, check here.
“The ability to read is a requirement for participation in society, acquire knowledge, education, personal development and integration. Not only does reading provide entertainment and good experiences, but it is absolutely essential for being able to develop a critical sense.”
— Anette Trettebergstuen, Ministry of Culture and Equality
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of our members have been actively involved in promoting reading and providing support to families and teachers in their efforts to instill a love for reading in children during these challenging times.
Buchklub Austria
Medienzentrum in Belgium
Children’s Books Ireland
We are Children’s Books Ireland and we’re working for a future where every child is a reader.
Where the joy of reading is felt by all children on the island of Ireland, regardless of their circumstances. Reading has the power to change lives. It builds empathy, improves mental wellbeing and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background. Reading helps us to understand ourselves and others, and the world around us. And, fundamentally, reading brings joy.
Stiftung Lesen, Germany
‘Europe and the world’ is the motto of the nationwide Reading Aloud Day 2020 in Germany.
How can we present this? Clearly, with a fairy tale, read out in 13 languages. See for yourself and listen.
The Finnish Reading Center, Finland
Our EURead member in Finland, Lukukeskus (The Finnish Reading Center), visualizes virtual author visits. Emmi Jäkkö, Development Manager, says:
“In April more than 400 author visits were canceled in Finland and authors lost more than 100.000 € income just during those first months. We had to find another solution. Luckily we had tested virtual visits before, and were able to modify visits quickly. 2019 we arranged 7 virtual author visits, this year around 500. It feels like audiences and organizers have now found this new way of communicating with authors. “
Detski Knigi Foundation, Bulgaria
Our Bulgarian EURead member presents the following link to an interesting video in Bulgarian – “How A Book Is Made”.
“This video was presented to the Bulgarian teachers and librarians, part of the Magic Pearl Reading Clubs network and was used to stimulate the children to create their own books at home, during the lockdown.”, says Valentina Stoeva, Chairperson.
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