Reading helps to expand literacy

In 2023, I spoke to a teenager who opened my eyes to the work we still have to do in encouraging reading across the GCC.

"Books?" he asked me, scoffing. "But that's not what I'm about at all!" It was hard to hear him over the bustle of the 27th Muscat International Book Fair. Being a bookseller, I felt uneasy at his response. However, I asked him what he was interested in."Hiking and football," he said.

Well, that's easy enough. Did he know there are books about the most beautiful hiking trails in the world? And, obviously, he could find the biographies of many famous footballers.

Oman has made remarkable progress in combating illiteracy, with the rate dropping to 2.5 per cent of the total population. It's even lower among younger age groups However, as illiteracy percentages shrink, it is time for us to think about the next level of literacy — promoting reading as a hobby.

For a time, I had been quite certain that social media would come to the rescue of reading. After all, platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and X, which are used by over 85 per cent of Oman's population, involve a lot of reading. But social media wasn't the magical pill I'd hoped for. And as you might know, the use of social media tends to build stress, break down social competence, and slash the user's attention span.

The thing is, literacy is more than just the ability to read and write; it is the foundation of critical thinking and informed decision-making. Reading novels enhances empathy and transforms our problem-solving capacities. Non-fiction places entire spheres of technical knowledge under our command. And while social media can complement literacy efforts and impart valuable knowledge, it cannot replace the depth of understanding that comes from reading a book.

So how do we do it? I think the answer is quite simply to give people the books they want.

Reading has a PR problem, which stems from the view that it is boring. However, if we keep in mind that genre is unlimited, we realise this is simply not true. Tell me your interest, no matter how niche, and I will tell you that there is a book for you.

By fostering a culture that values both digital engagement and deep, reflective reading in various topics, we can expand on the literacy we have developed, sending us towards new horizons.