A press conference held on 17 November marked the launch of the Reading Day initiative in Bulgaria, organised with the support of Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation) in Germany. The organisers aim to turn reading into a national cause that will underpin access to books, higher literacy levels, and the ability to find and analyse information.
National statistics are alarming: according to 2020 World Bank data, a child born in Bulgaria can realise only 61% of their potential, even after completing a full education and receiving comprehensive healthcare. As a result, the first Reading Day in Bulgaria will be hled under the title ‘Reading Opens Opportunities’.
Participants:
Valentina Stoeva – Chair of the Children’s Books Foundation and Reading Foundation
Viktoria Biserova – publisher and lecturer at Sofia University
Spaska Tarandova – Executive Director of the Global libraries Bulgaria Foundation
Dr Jörg F. Mass – Executive Director of the Reading Foundation (Germany)
Amelia Gesheva – Deputy Minister of Culture
Watch the press conference here (In Bulgarian)
Follow the campaign on social media here