SINGAPORE, FRIDAY, 3 JUNE 2016 – The National Reading Movement was officially launched today, kicking off a five-year initiative to promote reading in Singapore. It aims to encourage all to Read More by setting aside some time to read regularly, Read Widely by going beyond the usual genres and read in mother tongue languages, and to Read Together with family and friends.
The launch also marks the start of a two-month pledging campaign, calling for people to commit to Read More, Read Widely and Read Together. The first pledge was made by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, as he launched the event. It was attended by over 200 guests including the National Library Board’s partners and volunteers, as well as writers and publishers.
Members of the public can make their pledge to read by visiting www.nationalreadingmovement.sg.
Mrs Elaine Ng, CEO of NLB said, “We are very happy to have the support of the community and our partners for the National Reading Movement. We would like to take this opportunity to invite others who are passionate about encouraging reading in Singapore to join us. No effort is too small. I hope that everyone can pledge to read, and make a personal effort to Read More, Read Widely and Read Together.”
Over the next two months in June and July, NLB’s annual reading festive ‘Read! Fest’, which is themed “New Adventures” this year and will have more than 170 literary programmes. The public can also look forward to various reading activities and programmes island-wide.
Read! Fest 2016 will also place a renewed emphasis on mother tongue languages, and features over 40 activities such as author panel discussions, open mic performances and literary trails conducted in Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Through these efforts, the NLB aims to place reading at the heart of the community and encourage all to Read More, Read Widely and Read Together.
For more details on the National Reading Movement and Read! Singapore, please visit our website at www.nlb.gov.sg.