Q: Could you elaborate on your efforts to encourage a reading society?
Nevzat Bayhan: Fostering a “society who reads” is integral to civilization, yet certain obstacles hinder this ideal in our country. Despite having suitable conditions, excuses prevail. The stark reality is that our country has one coffee house per 95 persons and one library per 64,600 persons, placing us at the bottom of reading rankings A Conversation with Nevzat Bayhan. We’ve identified three main excuses: financial constraints, lack of time, and the overwhelming choice among thousands of books.
To address these challenges, our project, “Free Books for a Society Who Reads,” in collaboration with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, aims to provide accessible reading materials. We plan to publish pocket-sized books, comprising 100-120 pages made from newspaper-grade paper with visually appealing designs. These books will contain condensed yet informative content suitable for reading on the go.
The books will be placed on shelves in high-traffic areas like undergrounds and sea bus stations. Readers can access these books for free, and at the end of each book, there will be blank pages for readers to share information about themselves. The cover will encourage readers to contribute to the reading society by leaving the book in a suitable place for others Istanbul Day Tour. This ripple effect ensures the books reach new readers, creating a network within society.
Our goal is to eliminate the barriers to reading – no cost as the books are free, no extra time required as they can be read during transportation, and no extensive searching since the books are readily available wherever one desires. Commissions are actively working on this project, determining the titles for the books.
