On 25 March 2024, European Writers’ Day is celebrated, inviting Europeans to (re)discover the joy of reading.

On this occasion, the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mrs Iliana Ivanova, will participate in a conference to promote reading (25-26 March 2024). The event, which will take place in Leuven, Belgium, will focus on addressing the phenomenon of young people’s declining interest in reading and the decline of young people’s reading skills. The event will be attended by representatives of the ministries of culture and education from the 40 countries of the “Creative Europe” program, as well as representatives of the book, education and NGO sectors.

Ahead of the event, Commissioner Ivanova said: “Europe is fortunate to have a thriving and diverse literary history and culture. European Writers’ Day reminds us that reading is important at all ages and in every corner of Europe. We should teach our youth to enjoy reading. We owe it to our children. I would finally like to add that I am particularly happy that 10 years after the launch of the Creative Europe programme, this funding program is constantly being adapted to support the cultural and creative sectors, where there are more needs.”

In addition to the conference, schools, bookshops and libraries across Europe will host reading sessions for children and young people (the interactive map of all events is available here). Last year, over 1,000 schools took part in reading sessions. The Commission in collaboration with the European Writers’ Council is also organizing a tour of 120 European writers sharing their work with young people.

European Writers’ Day is an initiative of the Creative Europe program which supports the EU’s literature and publishing industry. Since 2014, the Creative Europe program has invested €2.5 billion in projects supporting cultural diversity and the branches of creation.

Katerina Plati