Algerian Radio
Writer and novelist Yasmina Khadra, who hosted a literary meeting in Oran yesterday, Monday, underscored the crucial importance of books, describing them as a "basic necessity," while calling literature "a pillar of collective conscience."
This cultural meeting, held at the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC) at the initiative of the Oran Bar Association, saw broad participation from the wilaya's lawyers, who came to exchange views with the author regarding the role of literature in building societies and nations.
According to Yasmina Khadra, literature constitutes a fundamental foundation for raising people's level of consciousness, preserving collective memory, and forging critical thinking. He insisted on the necessity of introducing children and youth to reading at a very early age in order to build enlightened generations capable of discernment and reflection.
The writer opined that this mission falls, above all, to parents, who are called upon to play a central role in anchoring a reading culture within the family. He noted that reading is not only a tool for knowledge but also a means of intellectual emancipation and resistance against mediocrity and the homogenization of ideas.
Addressing the issue of social media, Yasmina Khadra put their impact into perspective, estimating that they "do not constitute a threat in themselves." He stated that in every society, there are always individuals who choose paths different from those of easy consumption and superficiality, favoring intellectual depth and the quest for meaning.
For his part, Head of the Bar Association Omar Bergham, the organizer and co-host of the meeting, highlighted the potential of social media as tools for promoting reading and literature. He emphasized that these platforms can be utilized to disseminate books and bridge the gap between writers and the public, provided they are used thoughtfully and responsibly.
