Reading Is “Not a Privilege, but a Fundamental Human Right”

The book market has undergone significant changes in recent years, but books as a medium for culture, knowledge, and identity are not disappearing; rather, their role and accessibility are changing, emphasized Katalin Gál, president of the Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association (MKKE), at the opening of the 96th Book Week on Thursday at Vörösmarty Square in Budapest.

The president emphasized that despite the difficult year behind us, there are many stands, about 170, in the square and along the Danube promenade. It is likely that next year will not be any easier, as the book market has recently undergone significant changes, and this is likely to continue. As she said, the cost of producing books is rising, and so are book prices, and readers’ attention spans are shrinking, but books as a form of culture, knowledge, and identity will not disappear, although their role and accessibility are changing.

Photo: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán

She emphasized that the future of the Hungarian book market also depends on the extent to which society and decision-makers value reading as a cultural and intellectual foundation. She added that the future of books is not only an economic issue, but also a shared social responsibility.

An optimistic vision for books requires economic stability, low inflation, and adequate purchasing power, as well as education in reading at home and at school, she emphasized.

We must insist on the recognition that access to books is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right,”

she stressed.

Katalin Gál. MTI/Kocsis Zoltán

Writer, poet, and translator János Lackfi read a piece he wrote for the occasion, in which he reflected on how every era has its own traumas, but people in every era have the opportunity to rewrite their history. Literature is born out of trauma, and it all starts with childhood, because without childhood, there is no literature, he added.

János Lackfi. Photo: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán

Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of Budapest, emphasized that reading and the inclination and ability to read are prerequisites for a well-functioning democracy, as democracy is built on informed citizens who make decisions based on knowledge and information. “Those who fight against books will sooner or later fight against human communities,” he emphasized, then drew attention to the importance of high-level reading, because, as he said, it is essential for the exchange of human thoughts and feelings. “If we do not read literary texts, it is harder for us to imagine the lives of others,” he added. “People who read learn and accept, and are therefore less susceptible to political division and manipulation; they are what we might call free citizens,” noted the Budapest Mayor.

Gergely Karácsony. Photo: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán

Reading provides knowledge, stimulates thought, initiates conversations, and perhaps helps us understand each other,”

emphasized Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi, mayor of District 5. “We are constantly working to ensure that everything is in place in District 5 for people to enjoy the unique experience of reading,” he said, before listing the district’s initiatives to promote reading.

After the opening ceremony, the awards for the “2024 Beautiful Hungarian Book” competition were presented.

The four-day event will feature around 80 stage programs, performances by participating book publishers, and concerts. This year, 187 exhibitors at three venues will welcome visitors with over 1,100 book signings.