It is obvious that, given my role on the IPA Literacy Subcommittee, I must strive to understand the different challenges that reading faces in any part of the world.

Mexico is the country with the largest number of Spanish speakers. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and to experience the courtesy and passion for reading and learning of the fair’s visitors, something that resonates deeply with us Spaniards. As is always the case when I go there, this experience was moving and reminded me of my involvement as an international consultant in the development of two research projects on reading behavior undertaken in the past.

This led me to wonder about the current state of reading in Mexico because I haven’t had access to any more recent data or information on studies conducted after those in which I participated. Since I ran into Hugo Setzer at the fair -in one of those fleeting encounters that happen at the event- and I wanted to ask him about this situation. Hugo is the country manager at Hogrefe Manual Moderno, he was president of the Mexican Book Chamber (Caniem) until a few months ago, and I follow his articles every Sunday in the newspaper El Universal, in which he writes about various interesting subjects and, frequently, about the state of reading in that country.

When I talk to Hugo, I ask him about his views on the problems facing reading in his country and he tells me that «There are many factors. Reading is not encouraged at home, nor in school. Reading is a kind of punishment if you don’t behave.  There is no incentive for a youngster to visit a bookstore or a library, because the K-12 textbooks are delivered by the government directly to the schools. There are no public policies that recognize the importance of books and reading for a more developed society». 

This situation fits perfectly with the data I had when I participated in previous investigations such as the one carried out by Conaculta (the Ministry of Culture). And that connects with the big difference I’ve always noticed between Europe and Mexico regarding the role of reading for leisure, which Hugo confirms for me: «I don’t have the data at hand, but the largest chunk of book sales goes to educational. There is a relatively small part of the population that reads a lot, and a large part that doesn’t read at all. There is a fierce competition for the time of consumers in the entertainment industry. Books compete with so many digital distractors like Netflix and social media». 

For me, the biggest difference between the reality I live in and that of countries like Mexico is that there, the primary motivation for reading is clearly functional. Quantitative and qualitative studies show that reading is seen as a means to improve academic and professional development. I don’t believe it’s inherently bad that reading is considered a tool for improving life and social mobility, but I hope that one day Mexican society will also perceive it as a form of pleasure that enriches us as individuals.

This will probably depend on the implementation of intelligent, long-term government policies. Hugo Stezer tells me that «We have tried to convince the government of the importance of reading and books as engines of cultural and economic development, but with little success. For the Mexican government, the solutions are for the government to produce and distribute books. The government produces as a monopoly a single textbook in education for K-12 and owns and subsidizes one of the largest publishing houses in the country, as well as an important bookstore chain».

This confirms my perception of reading policies in the country. Traditionally, there has been a statist approach in Mexico which, in my personal view, negatively impacts the future of a publishing industry with impressive growth potential and, above all, the possibility that any of the kind and friendly families with whom I talk on the street or in a hallway at the fair will have the opportunity to integrate books and reading into their homes as something inherent to them, and not as a privilege for a select few, happy few…

However, I believe it would be possible to unlock the potential for reading in a society that seems eager to improve and enjoy life. Perhaps we should begin by thoroughly understanding the most pressing challenges and then design policies in collaboration with professionals in the book industry and the field of education, policies that would extend over two presidential terms.

I am convinced that this would propel this great country forward. Reading is the key to progress.