News

photo: The Book Institute
12.06.2023

EURead members' annual meeting has ended [report and photos]

This year's EURead General Meeting in Sofia came to an end yesterday. At the meeting, held under the theme “Literacy across Europe: Reading is the Key', the Book Institute was represented by Gabriela Dul, coordinator of our bookstart projects within the “Small Book – Great Man” campaign.

The summit brought together leading experts specialising in literacy, reading promotion, education, and the publishing market. Participants specifically addressed Bulgaria's problems and challenges in developing literacy and reading.

During the conference, participants shared experiences and presented projects and initiatives to promote reading at local, national, and global levels. The theme of the meeting, which was 'Reading is the Key', emphasised how important it is for authorities, at local, national, and European level, to understand that literacy and reading are key to the development of society, the prevention of poverty and inequality.

The focus was also placed on the most important current challenges in promoting reading, including boys' and men's reading, projects for young people, and helping Ukrainian refugees.

The EU Read network also includes the Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting, bringing together institutions from around the world implementing bookstart projects. Part of the meeting was devoted to summarising the network's activities over the past year. The action plan for the coming years was also discussed.

The forum was hosted by the Detski Knigi Foundation.

Gabriela Dul also took part in a meeting of the Discussion Book Club at the Polish Institute in Sofia.

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EURead was founded in 2000. The association now consists of 41 organisations from 21 European countries, for whom reading is a prerequisite for full participation in today's media-dominated and culturally diverse society.

EURead aims to share knowledge, experience, and ideas and to jointly develop new strategies for the promotion of reading. Meetings of the association take place on a regular basis. Its activities include systematic lobbying for the promotion of reading among politicians as well as in the business world. The aim of EURead is to raise awareness of the importance of the promotion of reading at national and EU level.

The Book Institute has been a EURead member since 2018. At the EURead conference, its flagship project, the “Small Book – Great Man” campaign, is being presented.