The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, participated today at the opening of the Book Fair.
Acting President Haxhiu, in a speech to the participants, said that the Book Fair is one of the rare events when the book comes to the center of public attention.
“For several days, there is discussions about publications, about authors, readers, about translations, about the work of publishers and about the people who still cultivate one of the most difficult and necessary works of our culture,” said Acting President Haxhiu.
She then thanked all those who made this fair possible and all those who work with the book throughout the year, writers, publishers, translators, editors, librarians, teachers and of course readers.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, this kind of work is of particular importance, because a country that places the book in public space, even for a few days, shows that it still recognizes the weight of the written word.
“But gratitude for this great work does not absolve us from the responsibility to look at the situation carefully. We must also talk about the place that the book is not any longer taking in our daily lives,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu said that reading is one of the first ways in which a person learns to understand the world beyond himself.
“A child who reads attentively learns to follow the thought to the end and to distinguish the main idea. He learns to ask questions, to compare, not to rush to conclusions. He learns that not every sentence that sounds certain is true. A citizen who reads understands the news better, understands the law, political promises, contracts, history, official documents and his or her own rights better. He or she has more opportunities to think for themselves, to understand what is said to them and not to remain dependent on others”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, in Kosovo, as in many countries around the world, reading is facing a decline, change of habits, screen pressure and a pace of life that leaves less and less space for books.
“But the fact that this is happening elsewhere does not make the issue any less important for us. On the contrary, it shows us that we need to act in a timely manner but also with prudence. Not by blaming each other, but by accepting that reading requires joint responsibility but also coordinated work. We also feel this as parents, when we see how difficult it is to create a quiet hour for the child, away from the screen and distraction. Teachers feel this, when they work every day with students who must learn not only to read, but also to understand what they read. Publishers, translators, but also authors, who work in a small market, but with great cultural needs, feel this”, affirmed Acting President Haxhiu.
Therefore, she added, we need joint and continuous responsibility, because reading is not built in a single place.
“It starts in the family, but continues in school, is strengthened in the library, is supported by the municipality, by public institutions, by publishers, by the media and by the very way we organize the cultural life of the country. If we want the book to be more present in the lives of our children and young people, it must meet them earlier. A child does not become a reader only when he is given a list of books for the holidays. He becomes a reader when the book is not presented to him as a burden, but as part of everyday life”, said Acting President Haxhiu.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, in particular, we should pay more attention to books for children and young people, where, according to her, the first relationship with reading begins.
“The child there understands whether the book is something that speaks to him, or something that is only required of him as a duty. We need books that are well written, well translated, well edited and close to the age, to the language, to the world of the young reader. In this effort, everyone has their part. The parent, the teacher, the library, the municipality, the publisher, the media, the cultural organizations and our own state. When these parts are connected to each other, the book and reading become more present in everyday life”, emphasized U.D. President Haxhiu.
She further said that the Fair makes the book visible for a few days, but our task is to make reading present even when there are no fairs.
“We are not asking for everyone to read the same books. We are not asking for everyone to become scholars, writers or even critics. We are asking for something more fundamental: for every child in Kosovo to have the opportunity to become a good reader. For every student to understand the text. For every citizen to have the opportunity to better understand the world in which they live and not remain dependent only on what others tell them”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, a Republic that cares about reading cares about the freedom of the citizen.
“Therefore, the opening of this fair should not remain only a congratulatory message to publishers and readers. Let it also be a call for joint, clear but also continuous work,” said Acting President Haxhiu
