Reading literature sharpens your intelligence and fosters an insight into and understanding of other people and things. Literature teaches you to ask questions, is disturbing and makes the certain uncertain. Some people even claim that reading makes you a better person. But are the supposed effects attained from literature alone? Could the same be achieved from images (television, films, games)? What does the written word have that images don’t? What is it that actually legitimises reading promotion? At this conference, we set out to establish the answers to these questions.
The lectures are now published in this book. Contributions by Aad Meinderts (preface), Rachel van Riel, György Konrád, Adriana Bus, Klaus Maiwald, Raymond A. Mar, Jakob Lothe and Joyce Goggin
