Brazil - Brazzil Mag - Brazilians Read 1.8 Books Per Year. There Is a Plan to Improve This.

The Brazilian National Book and Reading Plan (PNLL), which was launched last month by the ministers of Culture and Education of Brazil, has the objective of increasing reading (the Brazilian reading index) over the next three years by 50%.

Today the index is 1.8 books per year per inhabitant, which is considered very low even in comparison with other countries in Latin America. For example, the index in Colombia is 2.4 books per inhabitant per year.

The coordinator of the plan, Galeno Amorim, says that there is a long way to go before Brazil can reach the index levels in the United States and England of 5 books per year per inhabitant, or France, where it is even higher at 7 books.

The PNLL will implant public libraries, distribute books, provide credit for the publishing industry, create the figure of the reading mediator and create spaces for reading.

Brazil has between 10,000 and 12,000 libraries, says Amorim, adding that the problem is no longer access to books (in 2004 it was estimated that 14 million Brazilians did not have access to books, but that number has been cut in half).

What are needed are concrete actions, he says. That means putting libraries in every city and increasing the number of places where books are sold.

You can lead a horse to water
written by Guest, 2006-04-11 13:52:30

The problem is not that there is this great pent up demand and not enough supply. People don't read much in Brazil either because they don't want to or they can't.

There is certainly no lack of great Brazilian writers, but even there, people don't want great Brazilian literature, just as they don't want to see great Brazilian plays, ballets, or even movies or pop music. And when it comes to books they'd rather self-help books or bizarre conspiracy theory books.

The demand just isn't there, and to change that there needs to be massive cultural reform, including great changes in education, including a greater emphasis on education in general.

READ ONLY 1.8 BOOKS PER YEAR
written by Guest, 2006-04-11 14:43:10

Could this explain why Brazilians are so arrogant and defensive? This is extraordinary, and shameful.

If Brazilians don't want great literature, don't want to see Brazilian plays, ballets, movies or even pop music, what on earth do Brazilians do with their time? Do they think about SEX and unbridled Love?

Is there some kind of Secret Mantra that can crack a Brazilian NUT.Really this is unbelievable....

But they enjoy....
written by Guest, 2006-04-11 17:02:49

....TV Soap Operas ! They have then no reason to read or to to acknowledge they are illiterate.
The Brazilian elite and politicians will keep that way, so they will keep their power, continue lying, giving erroneous rosy economic numbers and continue the corruption in the backstage.

Brazilian society deserves a much better future. but without a long term commitment and accountability from the government, nothing will ever change.
Statitics provided in the article demonstarte that it is not necessarily wealth that creates an environment for education. Poorer countries than Brazil are more developed in the culture and education.
Because much worse than the article is the astounding fact that in Brazil there is only 10 % of population going to University, while in Souh Korea the number is 80 %.
It remains that only 20 years ago, South Korea was much poorer than Brazil.

Realizing this fact, just demonstrate that without long term commitment and without providing the needed budgets from a government, nothing will ever happen for the better.

IS BRAZIL REALLY THAT SELFISH?
written by Guest, 2006-04-12 01:03:02

I do agree wholeheartedly with the above.

These dreadful pretentious soap operas will get Brazilians nowhere and should delve more into their BOOKS.

As for the 'Rich Elite', are they really that selfish?
Does'nt this country belong to all Brazilians, or is it for rich foreign nationals.

rhetorical?
written by Guest, 2006-04-12 06:04:04

"f Brazilians don't want great literature, don't want to see Brazilian plays, ballets, movies or even pop music, what on earth do Brazilians do with their time?"

1. telenovelas 2. futebol

How easy is it to see a Brazilian movie in Brazil compared to New York? How often to Brazilian movies get shown in Brazil?

There was a really great line By Jobim some years back, he said something like "I was in Rio recently and turned on the radio and actually heard some Brazilian music, it was like being in New York."

Crowds love to come out for U2, Pearl Jam, the Stones, and other washed up hacks from abroad, but there are many dozens? hundreds? of great bands in Brazil that can't get a recording contract.

As for books, try comparing Brazil to Iceland or the Netherlands, it's really chilling.