Leseräume – Wörterträume
The idea behind this initiative was to focus on reading and speaking in South Tyrol. It took place not only the schools and libraries but also in nursery schools, museums, cultural associations and educational institutions. The media also helped to turn Reading in Springtime into a great success. 602 projects and activities took place from February to the end of May 2007: bookcrossing, literary menus and appetising texts, poetry in the park and open-air poems, a bible-quiz and grandparents who donated time for reading, book sculptures and fairytale walking-tours, whole villages that took part in a reading festival, a crime tour and book recommendations combined with wine and music. These are only some of the highlights of Reading in Springtime!
The documentation
The project was a huge success. With more than 600 events and initiatives all over South Tyrol, it was possible to lure lots of people into reading. The richly illustrated publication Leseräume – Wörterträume (in German and partly Italian) shows the highlights of this large-scale project.
It is a real treasure trove with a variety of useful suggestions for reading promotion projects and activities from the ‘literary menu’ from ‘a castle full of stories’ to ‘reading villages’. It is a comprehensive collection of activities for the contemporary promotion of reading.
Leseräume – Wörterträume. Der Südtiroler Lesefrühling by Elfi Fritsche, Helga Hofmann, Elisabeth Nitz, Maria Theresia Rössler.
Published by Pädagogisches Institut für die deutsche Sprachgruppe and Autonome Provinz Bozen – Südtirol/Kulturabteilung, Bozen (Italy), Folio Verlag, 2008.
This project is run by LeseForum, South Tyrol (Italy)