SIR: It has become necessary for everyone to develop the act of reading as a culture owing to the growing nature of the world today. In order for anyone to stay abreast with trending issues these days, it is sacrosanct that one has to nurture and upgrade the mind for reading; not just reading, but reading voraciously. To this end, the government as a ruling body – whether the local, the state, or the federal level – should be able to take the lead of encouraging the people into imbibing and developing reading habit so as to be able to meet up with the exigencies of today’s world. That is majorly the example Frankfurt Book Fair is instituted to showcase to the entire globe.
Book fair is usually an avenue created to display or exhibit books typically by a group of publishers or book dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest. The Frankfurt Book Fair is said to be the world’s largest trade fair for books based on the number of publishing companies that are usually represented year after year. It is also considered to be the most important book fair in the world for international deals and trading.
There has been a cascade of pleasant testimonies about Frankfurt Buchmesse – to adopt the German nomenclature, which simply means Frankfurt Book Fair. It is an exciting avenue where authors, publishers, and different classes of lovers of books come together to celebrate and display written discourses. In fact, a book fair offers a wonderful opportunity to discover new writers and reconnect with the classics, as well as other countless thriller books.
Apart from the golden opportunity to cross-fertilize ideas among literary personalities, book fair, in general, goes a long way in promoting reading habits and shaping the character of individuals.
The act of reading begins from crèche to the university level, which is the highest educational echelon in the world. It is important for the leadership of our nation Nigeria to encourage the citizens to embark on reading expedition by providing the requisite enabling atmosphere. Therefore, a country that intends to promote reading culture should by all means resist all forms of strike actions especially at the educational sector.
If the issue of reading is handled with lackadaisical attitude, the negative side effects will certainly permeate and transcend every facet of educational system, thereby metamorphosing into a society that does not see the need for reading at all.
Hopefully, if selected Nigerian newsmen are well represented in Germany for the auspicious event, there is a yawning chance for them to come back home in due course with prize and pride, in addition to the obvious avenue of propagating reading culture.
• By Daniel Ejodamen
