The ‘decisive impact’ of early reading

The “decisive impact of books at an early age” was the theme of a talk included in the ongoing Macau Literary Festival. Brazilian writer Luiz Ruffato and Carlos André, the head of the Portuguese Language Teaching and Research Center at the Macau Polytechnic Institute, explained how their passion for reading developed at a young age.
During the session held at the Old Court Building, Luiz Ruffato claimed that he only sought out the library as a ‘refuge’ when he was bullied, and only started reading in the library after pretending to do so. “As a child, I didn’t feel alone,” he said. Claiming that books took his mind and imagination to various places, he mentioned classics by Alexandre Herculano and Rubem Fonseca.
He also discussed reading issues in Brazil, commenting that only one in three know how to interpret literature.
Meanwhile, Carlos André highlighted the compulsory use of books in school, which are described as ‘boring’ by some. “Compulsory books aren’t supposed to be boring,” he said, adding that the problem is not in the books themselves, but with teachers who don’t spark any interest in reading among their students.
He claimed that teachers are responsible for turning books into life, emphasizing that educators should ‘completely change the perspective’ of reading a required book.
Moreover, he discussed the use of technology among this generation which interferes with students reading classical books. He added that children should discover the art of analyzing stories, as it is a fundamental skill a child needs to be more creative and artistic.
When asked how passionate readers can turn into authors, Luis Ruffato said one should firstly write for oneself and practice over time. “Writers are not born writers. It comes with practice and with the right techniques,” he added. Staff reporter