I have been reading for as long as I can remember. I have read all the fairy tales that you could possibly imagine, I got 5 books weekly. I enjoyed literature and history because I had to read. I began to write as a result of my heavy reading. At 12 years, I was reading 400-page books. So bookworm is I. I am a book worm. I should have impressed you enough by now.
My reading culture was not birthed in Uganda, sadly, and this is why I understand why we do not have one. Why we only read when it’s for an exam. Why we don’t hunger for fresh pages and we overly idolize people that do or utter statements like. “Eh, you read. Wow, you are a genius.” Our education system spends most of its time pumping knowledge for the sake of finishing and not understanding the content. It’s like having food just to stuff it down your throat and you don’t get to savor the taste while enjoying the meal.
We also have this horrible mindset that only people that study sciences shall make it. Then we have chosen to gender the subjects, sciences for boys, it’s too hard for girls and arts for girls because they like to overthink and analyze or some weak theory like that. This is why we have overly entitled ignorant men on social media but this is another topic.
So, why should we read? You will allow me to use my lived experiences to show the benefits of reading and to persuade you to pick up a book often.
Information, I don’t know about you but I genuinely hate being an idiot. I dislike sitting in a room and being unable to contribute to a conversation because this information does not exist within me. I also just enjoy learning new things; new ways to envision the world and opening up my mind to new ways of existing away from what has been handed to me by saying teachers, lecturers, and the media.
I am creative and I honestly think the only way to be one is feeding on the work of fellow creatives. As a writer, it only makes sense for me to read. There is no way as a writer, in my opinion, that you can better your craft unless you read. Read widely and begin to read out of your comfort zone too. It is funny how we have no reading culture but a large number of the population that has gone to school has a great understanding of all those romance novels while we shun work by the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
Increase your vocabulary, friends. I know this is the colonizer’s language, trust me. I hate the fact that I can’t fluently speak my mother tongue let alone write a whole essay in it. We were colonized, we took the incentive to continue teaching, learning and speaking this language, beating children or shaming them for speaking vernacular. Now that we are here, can we learn a few words and how to pronounce them its G, not ghee. ‘Uglish’ is not for every day, my guy (attempts to include it.)
I also read to run away from the world. If you are looking for a good stress reliever and a place to go to when reality is not too fun, a book is your best friend. I would advise African fiction, you might as well put a coin in your people’s wallets but also it is good to work.
Read for these reasons or any other you can concoct. Read because it is great to know, to be informed, to share and not sound like a fool also we are tired of debating with people who don’t read. Read to find peace or learn a new word. Read because there are too many beautiful books written by talented people on shelves that will make you a better person or just read because reading is great.