Forum: Enhance ReadSG by inviting readers to reflect on what has been read

More than half a century ago, English schoolmaster R.P. Hewett compiled A Choice Of Poets (1968), an anthology introducing pupils to the works of Wordsworth, Blake, Keats, Hardy and other literary greats.

What distinguished the book was not its selection of poems, but the questions accompanying them. Readers are encouraged to examine language, consider different interpretations and discover meaning for themselves.

There is something remarkably contemporary about this decidedly old-fashioned approach. It reminds us that the purpose of reading is not simply to absorb another person’s thoughts, but to develop thoughts of our own.

The special weekly edition published by The Straits Times (The Straits Times to publish special weekly edition in October in support of ReadSG, Oct 8) is a welcome initiative, particularly when digital distractions compete relentlessly for attention.

The National Library Board has rightly emphasised that reading nurtures critical thinking and deeper engagement. ReadSG’s 15-minute reading challenge is a useful starting point.

But perhaps we could complement the time spent reading with an invitation to reflect on what has been read.

Participants might voluntarily share one question a book raised, an argument they disagreed with or an assumption they reconsidered. Libraries could occasionally feature these reflections alongside reading recommendations, allowing readers to encounter not merely what others are reading, but what they are thinking.

Such a practice would be particularly worthwhile in an age of generative artificial intelligence, when the meaning of a poem or the argument of an essay can be summarised almost instantly.

Singapore has invested considerable effort in encouraging people to read. The next opportunity is to make the act of reading more conversational, reflective and intellectually adventurous.

Irwan Jamil