Read Hour in Estonia
Estonia is taking part in Read Hour. We asked Anneli Loodus from Finnish Insitute in Estonia what is going on during Read Hour in their country.
Who is organising Read Hour and why do you want to take part in this campaign?
Finnish Institute has organized RH in Estonia since 2021. This year we organise it in cooperation with Tartu Public Library, Tallinn Central Library and Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.
How are you engaging your local audience to Read Hour?
Last year Read Hour won great popularity also in social media. Office of the President among others did post picture of their staff reading. Our aim is that in couple of years Read Hour will be celebrated spontaneously in libraries, schools and workplaces, even without a need it to be organised.
This year the biggest events will take place in Tartu and Tallinn. At 11 AM libraries will bring books to public places and people are offered to make their choice they want to read. Everyone is invited to join also with their own books. During this hour people will have a chance to listen also to couple of writers reading their books to children.
We invite everybody to take part of it wherever they are – at school, work or at home – and post a picture of their reading to social media if they feel like it. We use mainly social media to invite people to join RH and hopefully it spreads well as we have already many partners. We are planning to engage more of radio and TV as well.
Libaries and schools will get a list of proposed activities they can choose between or they can create their own way: organize different creative reading activities, invite a write or a different guest etc.
What is your favourite book from children’s and young adults literature?
As we have Literature Street Festival in Tallinn on 9th of September and Finnish Institute has invited there the Finnish writer Tuutikki Tolonen, we asked her also to participate in ReadHour. Her Agnes- series are my favorite children’s books at the moment.
Written by: Anneli Loodus / Programme coordinator, Finnish Insitute in Estonia
