Children’s Reading Culture Today – Needs and Challenges. Nordic-Russian Examples and Best Practices

The problem of children “not reading” is worldwide issue and is especially great challenge in a time of new digital technologies. Objective of the project is to promote children’s reading culture and to develop children’s skills of critical and creative reading. The project will be realized by creating a Nordic-Russian network of institutions and professionals working with children's literature and culture (writers, illustrators, researchers, teachers of literature, pedagogues from children's libraries, museums, etc.). Networking will be settled through conferences, seminars, workshops and exhibition.

Expected results of the project:

Promotion of the values of Nordic countries in Russia in the field of children's literature and culture in general, and the concept of "philosophy of childhood";
Establishing of a professional international network, bringing together writers, illustrators, artists, researchers, and professionals working with children literature and reading culture;
Presentation in Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region the contemporary children literature of Nordic countries and stimulation of the interest among Russian publishers;
Mutually beneficial dialogue and professional exchange in the field of promoting children's literature and reading culture;

Project activities

Within the framework of the project will be organized several conferences, seminars for experts in children’s literature and culture. The professional part of the program will start with the overview of the contemporary Nordic literature and will be further focused on practical methods used while working with children’s reading culture in the Nordic countries. For the public will be arranged sets of contemporary children literature presentations with the meeting with writers and illustrators. In case of attracting to the theme an interest of the wide audience and give a chance to a real demonstration of new methods of work the mobile interactive exhibition will be presented in several places in Leningrad oblast and St.Petersburg.

Organizer: The Finnish Institute in St. Petersburg / Finnish-Russian Society
Supported by Nordic Council of Ministers

Experts on children’s literature and culture will be invited to the projects from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Russia. The main partners of the project will be the Consulate Generals of Nordic countries and with their help direct connections with their centers of children’s literature, research centers, unions of illustrators, libraries etc. will be established. From Russia the confirmed partners are the Centre for children's literature, Institute of Russian literature of Russian Academy of Sience (the Pushkin house) which is a methodological center working with researchers from all over Russia and Leningrad oblast children library, which is working as a methodical center for all Leningrad oblast libraries.

Event Archive

February 16^th-17^th2019 — Books About Difficult Themes. To Read Or Not to Read? Public lectures. The Finnish Institute in St. Petersburg, B. Konjušennaja, 8

September 29^th 2018 — Contemporary children literature of the Nordic countries. Public lectures of Nordic countries experts. Video of the lectures: Part I, Part II. The Finnish Institute in St. Petersburg, B. Konjušennaja, 8

September 28^th -29^th 2018 — International Scientific and Theoretical Colloquium „Nordic Children’s Literature in Russia: Reading Experience“ / Programme of the colloquium. The Institute of Russian Literature (the Pushkin House) St. Petersburg, Makarova emb., 4