NOT THE END OF THE STORY
It’s encouraging that this is happening in large economies like China and in emerging markets with historically strong reading cultures such as India, but this is by no means the end of the story.
Surveys suggest that on average, Asians read fewer books than their counterparts in the West. In fact, India is the only Asian nation that makes it to a top six list of countries that read the most per capita and that statistic likely reflects only the habits of the middle and upper classes.
Embedding reading more firmly in education systems, the way that Asia’s enormous school and university systems have done, could help to generate a steadier demand. Measures such as Xi’s top-down directive, prioritising reading in education policy and viewing digital platforms as partners in the marketing and sales, could also help.
Governments must act to build on the steady progress. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set a good example for this year’s World Book Day when he took to social media to talk about how reading had shaped his life. More politicians should follow suit.
Despite remarkable progress, the region is home to around 46 per cent of the world’s illiterate youths and 61 per cent of illiterate adults. Boosting literacy levels, especially in less developed parts where access to books and education remains scandalously low is a priority.
Reading forms critical thinking that helps our societies advance, innovate and, indeed, govern. It remains one of life’s deepest sources of intellectual and personal enrichment, as your columnist can attest. If that habit fades in the next generation, the loss will be felt not just in our culture, but in how all of us think and act.
That would be a bleak ending indeed.
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