‘I Read Canadian Day’ helps support local authors, booksellers

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – On the second annual “I Read Canadian Day,” young people are encouraged to spend some time with our country’s literature and share their experiences online.

The day celebrates the richness, diversity, and breadth of Canadian literature by asking young people to read a Canadian book for 15 minutes.

Heidi Waechtler, with the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. says “I  read Canadian Day” is a good way to support local publishing, especially given the business challenges posed by the pandemic.

“We need to find other ways to get the message out about the value of supporting local authors and illustrators and publishers. This is a good way to galvanize people around this idea of reading books that reflect their communities,” she tells NEWS 1130.

“Seeing books that reflect your own lived experiences, being able to connect with locations, perspectives, people that you see in your day to day lives just reinforces how books can be in dialogue with stories around the world.”

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Waechtler says teachers also have the opportunity to connect with publishers.

“It’s hard to know what’s going on in that classroom and this is a way to open up their educational practice and be in touch with publishers and tell them, ‘This is what my students like to read.’ Which, in turn, informs the kinds of books B.C. publishers require and bring to market.”

Waechtler encourages everyone to support their local bookstores in any way they can.