During WEXFO 2025 in Lillehammer, we interviewed three leading voices to reflect on one of the most fundamental pillars of democracy: reading. In a world of growing polarization, disinformation, and fragmented realities, literacy is not just a skill – it is a necessity for citizenship building.
The interviews feature Mihael Kovač, professor and book industry expert from Slovenia, Gvantsa Jobava, publisher and freedom of expression advocate from Georgia, and Louis Hall, writer and activist from the UK. Each of them shares why reading matters more than ever, and why it is essential for freedom of expression and democratic participation.
Reading builds understanding
Mihael Kovač emphasizes that reading trains our minds to deal with complexity:
“We just need to have a proper machine in our brains, and this machine is being trained through book reading.”
“Through reading, we learn that words can change meanings in different contexts. All this enables us to deal with more complex thoughts and understand the complexity of the world.”
Critical literacy against disinformation
For Gvantsa Jobava, reading is the first step toward freedom and democracy:
“If we want to fight for democracy, first of all we need to understand what we are reading in social media. Without literacy, this is impossible.”
She warns that misinformation and propaganda are everywhere, and without the ability to read critically, we risk losing our grip on truth.
Literacy as civic engagement
Louis Hall connects reading to active citizenship:
“Literacy is participation. Engaging in reading and writing means that you have the ability to start reading beyond what you know, beyond your own context.”
“Democracy is not a thing that will last forever. It is a man-made concept, and so is freedom of expression.”
For Hall, literacy is the foundation of civic responsibility and shared reality. Without it, freedom of expression becomes an empty concept.
Watch the full video in the frame below the heading.
