The Government, through its Ministry of Culture, has planned a National Plan for the Promotion of Reading included in a more general one, 2020 cultural action plan. I read yesterday that the Federation of Publishers Guilds (FGEE), in charge of preparing the report Reading in Spain 2017, gives a warning that we are unable to increase the reading level around here.

The figures are staggering: almost a 40% of the citizen did not read not a book in 2015. How many will there have been in 2016? But for now, it's about that, about a proposal, an intention. It does not specify when or how It will be that plan. We review the landscape.

How to encourage reading

Promises the Secretary of State for Culture, Mr Fernando Benzo, which the Government projects increase that poor percentage home of readers. The plan will form part of the more general 2020 Plan of cultural action, which will include a part dedicated to reading. In addition, they hope to say that the initiative involves the publishing sector and the Autonomous Communities. But above all it intends to involve All society. How?

First of all they want in schools reading time is equated with that of physical education and sporty. I mean, some push-ups, a chapter, a career, another chapter, a basketball game, half a book at least. Something is better than nothing. I think I remember from my younger years that I had time for both.

Second, make reading a transversal activity included "in all subjects." It seems that until now it was not read to study History or Language or Science or Physics or Literature. Anyway, you didn't read to study.

Third, you want the YOUNG in particular consider the reading as another playful activity. O read to develop their own language and creative. But how to achieve that between the competition of WhatsApp and derivatives and the absolute reduction of the reading to 140 characters? Difficult company without a doubt.

And finally, it aspires to achieve that reader rebound "from legality". Admittedly, Mr. Benzo has good will, but the pirates have always had to beat copper with good. And there they will have to spin fine.

Why don't we read

Too many regrets that I was already commenting ago nothing. But reasons ... That is already more difficult to specify.

In the report of the Federation of Publishers Guilds, Reading in Spain 2017, stands out the closure of bookstores and press sales centers. It was very sad, for example, to see last summer in Madrid the padlock and the disappearance of the Fnac branch in Nuevos Ministerios. Always sparsely populated and with too much competition for the important and varied commercial area around it.

It also gives that cold data of 40% of a population that has no interest in reading, as well as the aging funds of libraries public. Perhaps also that some are too small and have that old fund that they cannot renew. To me, who from time to time I make donations, they always tell me the same thing. That they have no place. But they also always keep what I bring them.

hopes

The fact that there are. Because the secretary also pointed out that reading is second favorite cultural activity of the Spanish, after listening to music. And that the percentage of the call frequent reader (read at least once a week) has risen in recent years to 47% of the staff. What do we call ourselves those of us who read at least once a day? Or those of us who spend our lives reading playfully and almost lubriciously?

Well, the question would be prevent this reading inequality from increasing between the very dedicated and the absolute disinterested. A) Yes, the editors e.g. they request a few precise measurements: the VAT reduction on electronic books, now at 21%, up to 4% of paper works; a stronger fight against piracy, One aid plan for bookstores, especially for the little ones, and greater endowments for libraries.

Will we see that plan? And will it work? Let's hope so.