COVID lockdowns; tailwind for longer book reading hours
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
In Iran, there's a national week designated for books and every year, cultural activists use the occasion as an opportunity to highlight the problems facing the publication industry.
This year however, the themes are different. In Iran's Book House, experts have sat together to review the impacts of the coronavirus on people's contact with books.
There's no official figure regarding the average per capita reading time in Iran. However, a quick surf in the internet and a short talk with people reveals that Iranians do not spend much time with books.
Some people have found COVID lockdown a chance to dust off their bookshelves and spend more time with books.
Experts cite many factors as to why the culture of reading is so low among Iranians; access to online sources and the emergence of audiobooks are among the top contributors to checkmating classic ways of reading. While technology has provided alternatives for a significant portion of our classic lifestyles, books have been no exception.
However, experts say nothing can replace the sense of accomplishment when readers buy their favorite titles and enjoy flipping their pages.
Despite its destructive side effects on nearly every aspect of societies, when it comes to book reading, COVID has been a blessing.
Experts say for Iran with a low per capita reading, the COVID-driven lockdowns have reunited many people with their bookshelves to both kill time and enlighten their minds.
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