I am a keen follower of http://www.ted.com/: the website devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading’. Recently, the following video, entitled ‘My year reading a book from every country in the world’, caught my eye:

From the description:

Ann Morgan considered herself well read — until she discovered the “massive blindspot” on her bookshelf. Amid a multitude of English and American authors, there were very few books from beyond the English-speaking world. So she set an ambitious goal: to read one book from every country in the world over the course of a year. Now she’s urging other Anglophiles to read translated works so that publishers will work harder to bring foreign literary gems back to their shores.

I am very fortunate to speak several languages, which allows me to read books from a range of countries in their original language. But I do also read translated works. From my armchair in Kent, England, or my patio overlooking the Med in the South of France, I can travel the world and learn about its peoples, and I am certain that doing so makes me not only a better writer but also a better person.

Would you follow Ann’s challenge? What world literatures most interest you? I would love to hear your thoughts.