Exploring Global Literature

The speaker shares their journey of realizing a cultural blind spot in their reading habits, which led them to embark on a global reading challenge. They aimed to read a book from every country in the world within a year. Despite facing challenges in sourcing books, especially translations, they leveraged social media and community support to achieve their goal. The experience opened their eyes to the richness and diversity of global literature, highlighting the power of books to connect people across cultural and geographical divides.

What prompted the speaker to start a global reading journey?

• A challenge from a book club

• A desire to learn new languages

• A recommendation from a friend

• A realization of a cultural blind spot in their reading

What was the speaker's initial perception of their reading habits?

• They included a wide range of translated works

• They were focused on non-fiction

• They were limited to British and North American authors

• They were diverse and inclusive

What was one of the main challenges the speaker faced in sourcing books from every country?

• Lack of interest from publishers

• High cost of international shipping

• Low percentage of translated works available in English

• Difficulty in understanding foreign languages

How did the speaker initially seek help for their project?

• By attending international book fairs

• By visiting libraries around the world

• By posting an appeal on their blog

• By contacting international publishers

What was the role of Rafidah in the speaker's project?

• She translated books into English

• She organized a book club

• She sent books from Malaysia and Singapore

• She provided financial support

How did the speaker obtain a book from Panama?

• Through a conversation with the Panama Canal on Twitter

• By visiting Panama

• By contacting a Panamanian publisher

• By purchasing it online

What was a unique method the speaker used to get a book from São Tomé and Príncipe?

• They had volunteers translate it from scratch

• They translated it themselves

• They contacted the author directly

• They found a translated version online

What did the speaker learn from their global reading experience?

• The challenges of learning new languages

• The superiority of British literature

• The diversity and complexity of global cultures

• The importance of reading only English literature

What does the speaker hope will happen if more people read globally?

• Books will become more expensive

• There will be more incentive to translate books

• Publishers will have less work

• There will be less need for translations

What does the speaker believe books have the power to do?

• Make people more isolated

• Connect people across various divides

• Increase political tensions

• Reduce the need for travel