Why we need a National Year of Reading more than a Year of Writing

 

“Nearly half the population struggles without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work."



This sobering quote comes from the website devoted to the 2012 National Year of Reading officially launched on February 14. The website is here http://www.love2read.org.au/about-us.cfm




Unless we have readers, writers have no one to write for. I believe writing – like all communication – needs a sender and a receiver. Until the writing (the message) is received/read by a reader, the transaction isn’t complete.




I can very well recall, that, in my very young days, reading books was never seen as a waste of time. It was our entertainment. It was also education but we didn’t know that then. Reading was just fun.




As a reader, my only hope is this culture continues.