LE FIGARO. – According to the latest barometer on the French and reading, conducted by Ipsos for the CNL, one in five young people say they do not read at all. How to explain it?
Regine HATCHONDO. – First of all, it must be said that we are the country that is doing the best. But, it is obvious that the universe of screens offers children and adolescents the possibility of connecting directly with their community, of having the impression of being aware of everything that is happening, right away. This apparent freedom to feed on images and videos has become a consumption reflex among young people.
How did we get here? Probably we did not measure the importance that screens were going to take on in the lives of adolescents, probably we did not measure the harmful effects on brain development, on sleep, concentration and memory. It is nonetheless true that today the CNL has made the development of readership, and in particular for young people, a major priority. Reading is a public health issue. Often, by the way, when I talk about the relationship of teenagers to books, I say that I would like to make it a subject such as “the five fruits and vegetables a day” for a balanced diet.
Curiously, while those under 25 spend six times more time on screens than in books, reading is perceived as a very positive activity for 86% of them.
It is true that we are an atypical country. 86% of French people say they are readers or, at least, like to read. In addition, the book in France evokes escape, pleasure, knowledge, personal enrichment. Remember that there is a very dense fabric of independent bookstores which makes France exceptional. This, thanks to the single price of the book and the support that the regions, the cities, the CNL bring to bookstores. The book also remains for 82% of the French the favorite gift at Christmas. This proves that we give the book a precious symbolism! But of course, screen addiction is a worrying practice for our youth. Reading suffers because the 4h16 spent per day on the screens is less time for the book.
Can a festival like Partir en livre reverse this trend?
He can make reading a convivial activity and break with this idea of solitary passion. This is why we wanted, as part of the development of reading, to continue to innovate and grow our festival, in the same way that we are inventing new perspectives for Reading Nights. Partir en livre is especially aimed at teenagers.
To read alsoHubert Aupetit: “Houellebecq is a character from Les Pensées!”
We wanted to reconnect with the Livrodrome, the literary park that goes from town to town. We really try to get the book off the shelves to bring it closer to young readers. We have planned 20,000 Reading Checks, we distribute more than 20,000 books that we co-publish so that the children go home with a book. It is sometimes the first book that enters a home. It is therefore important to break the possible barrier of fear or boredom that adolescents may feel while reading. We want to uninhibit teenagers.
We know the difficulty for some to access bookstores, even if 142 new bookstores in 2022 were created. You mentioned the Livrodrome, this traveling literary amusement park. Is this a way to get in touch with potential future readers?
Yes. We do not want, as is also the case with the Nights of Reading, for it to be an event that can be experienced as uniquely Parisian. We are therefore keen to deploy everywhere in France. We have more than 5,800 events referenced on the Partir en livre map and then, therefore, the Livrodrome. This is a unique itinerant literary village that offers a literary siesta, an audio story that can be listened to while lying in cushions… An author can also ask children about their tastes in life and have them leave with a prescription for pounds, much like a doctor’s office for medication.
There is a book club that will be organized at each stage. There will also be writing and drawing workshops that will be offered. Likewise, we have planned to launch treasure hunts for books, notably in Lyon, on July 8. More than 800 authors participate in the festival, including 200 for the Livrodrome. We can mention our sponsors Antoine Dole, alias Mr. Tan for Mortelle Adèle, Diane Le Feyer, the magician Éric Antoine who will be present in Marseille, accompanied by his co-author Bertrand Puard, Lucie Bryon, Emmanuelle Rey and Mathilde Paris, but also by Susie Morgenstern who will be with Vincent Mondiot, Joanne Richoux, Marie Pavlenko in Paris, Marie Darrieussecq in Toul, Émile Bravo with Guillaume Nail, Philippe Arnaud, Diane Truc and Claire Gaudriot in Brive…
Contests will be organized on social networks. Can these platforms serve as a lever to encourage the youngest to read?
Obviously. We are trying to revive book clubs all over France. We are very careful to be present on social networks, especially Instagram, and to reach all communities, including influencers who talk about their literary favorites. We also try to find figures from other backgrounds so that they can give reading advice. This is the case with footballers, actors, directors…
Is the taste for reading educated from an early age?
Yes of course. If we rely on our latest study on the relationship of the French with reading, 92% of those who like to read say they remember with emotion the voice of their mother or father reading them a story the evening before. that they do not fall asleep. You can start reading later, but what is certain is that having a universe of books at home and parents who read create the desire to read as you grow up.
