My year reading a book from every country in the world | Ann Morgan

Summary

In this inspiring talk, the speaker shares her journey to diversify her reading habits by exploring literature from every UN-recognized country, including Taiwan, totaling 196. Initially shocked by her predominantly British and North American bookshelf, she embarked on a global reading quest during the London Olympics year. Facing challenges like limited English translations and unfamiliarity with foreign literature, she sought help online, connecting with strangers who generously supported her mission. Through this experience, she discovered the power of books to bridge cultural divides and the collective effort to bring the world's stories to life, ultimately enriching her perspective on global diversity and unity.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker discovered a cultural blind spot in their reading habits, realizing that their bookshelves were predominantly filled with books by British or North American authors, with little representation from other cultures.
• 🌏 In 2012, the speaker embarked on a global reading challenge to read a book from every UN-recognized country, including Taiwan, totaling 196 nations.
• 📈 The speaker highlighted the issue of limited book translations into English, with only around 4.5% of literary works published in the UK being translations, reflecting a similar situation in the English-speaking world.
• 🔍 The challenge of finding books from countries with little to no English literature involved seeking help from a global community through the speaker's blog.
• 🤝 The power of community and collaboration was evident as friends, colleagues, and strangers offered assistance in sourcing books from around the world.
• 🌐 The Internet played a crucial role in connecting the speaker with people who helped in the quest to read globally, showcasing the potential of technology to bridge cultural divides.
• 📬 Personal connections and even social media outreach to entities like the Panama Canal's Twitter account led to unique opportunities for accessing literature.
• 📖 Writers and translators from various countries shared their work with the speaker, including unpublished and self-published pieces, offering a glimpse into diverse literary worlds.
• 🤔 The experience of reading globally was both enlightening and challenging, prompting the speaker to reflect on their own cultural perspectives and the broader literary landscape.
• 🌟 The project transformed a list of countries into living entities with rich stories, highlighting the power of literature to humanize and connect people across the globe.
• 📚 The speaker's bookshelves now tell a story of global connection, cultural diversity, and the collective potential of humanity to share ideas and narratives.

Q & A

What realization did the speaker have about their bookshelf that led to a cultural shock?

The speaker realized that almost all the books on their bookshelf were by British or North American authors, with almost nothing in translation, indicating a significant cultural blind spot in their reading habits.

What was the speaker's goal for the year 2012?

The speaker's goal was to read a novel, short story collection, or memoir from every country in the world, using the year of the London Olympics as a time frame.

How many countries did the speaker decide to include in their reading project?

The speaker decided to include 196 countries, using the list of UN-recognized nations and adding Taiwan.

What percentage of literary works published in the UK are translations, and what does this indicate about the availability of foreign literature?

Only around 4.5 percent of literary works published in the UK are translations, indicating that a vast majority of foreign literature remains inaccessible to English-speaking readers.

How did the speaker address the challenge of finding books from countries with little or no commercially available literature in English?

The speaker sought help from people around the world through their blog, and in some cases, collaborated with authors and translators to access unpublished or self-published works.

What was the unexpected outcome of the speaker's appeal for help on their blog?

The unexpected outcome was the overwhelming response from friends, colleagues, and strangers who offered to help by suggesting books, conducting research, and even translating works for the speaker.

How did the speaker's project evolve from a personal endeavor to a collaborative one?

The project evolved as the speaker received help from various individuals who shared their knowledge, resources, and even their translations, turning the project into a collective effort to explore global literature.

What was the role of social media in the speaker's quest to read the world?

Social media played a crucial role by connecting the speaker with a global community of readers, authors, and translators, enabling them to share recommendations, resources, and even unpublished works.

Can reading one book from a country provide a comprehensive understanding of that country's culture?

While reading one book cannot provide a rounded picture of a country, the cumulative effect of reading diverse stories can offer insights into the richness, diversity, and complexity of different cultures.

How did the speaker's perspective on English-language literature change after their global reading project?

The speaker began to see the narrowness of much English-language literature compared to the richness offered by global literature, highlighting the importance of reading widely to gain a broader understanding of the world.

What is the speaker's hope for the future in terms of global reading and book translations?

The speaker hopes that more people will join them in reading widely, which would incentivize publishers to translate more books, enriching the literary experience for all.