There is a stereotype that people in Kuwait don't read. Perhaps because people in Europe and America can often be seen reading in public in trains, coffee shops, at the bus stop, and of course in bookshops. Here, however, it is rare to find someone sitting and reading a book. You are more likely to see people in a coffee shop playing on their smart phone.

There is, however, a large subgroup of devoted readers and writers here. In honor of World Book Day, the Kuwait Times would like to celebrate readers in Kuwait by highlighting some of the many groups and activities for book lovers in Kuwait.

Clash or collaboration? Social media and books

There are a growing number of groups online and on social media that promote reading in Kuwait. Readers here organize readings, lectures, events and other social activities through social media to promote love of the written word.

One such group is ReadershipQ8 that focuses on promoting reading and reading activities."Our project is a reading club and initiatives, such as selling used books and holding cultural evenings plus fundraising in favor of different charities by selling books," explains Bader Bin Ghaith, a caricature artist, booklover and ReadershipQ8 member.

Since 2009, a non-profit, nongovernmental cultural project called "Al Jalees" has been nurturing book reading, taking another turn in attracting readers by spreading over 75 reading groups in the country, so far. They believe that the evolution of any society won't happen without the revival of reading among its members. Moreover, there are other groups that gather to coincide the Kuwait Annual International Book Fair which has been running for 40 years.

Libraries, book clubs and more

Some book reading clubs are managed under the umbrella of social groups like the British Ladies Society, The Diwan Club, or The Salon Book Club. Furthermore, there are reading monthly meetups run by bookstores like Bibliophiles at Q8 Bookstore and Takween Bookstores.

Nowadays also more and more hang out destinations, galleries and other hot spots like the library of the Contemporary Art Platform (CAP) and the National Library of Kuwait are holding lectures and cultural events to nourish culture and reading of Kuwait as well as storytelling events for kids at Dar Al Athar (DAI), Al-Shaheed Park and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL).

Manal Al-Nashmi, founder of Hzaya.com, an online children's bookstore, thinks it has become an urgent responsibility to make our children want to carry the books in the time that smart phones and iPads have become a fierce competitor against.

"We at Hzaya attempt to facilitate the selection of appropriate books for children by their parents, books that reinforce ethics and good manners" She explained. "In addition to selling books, we organize events targeting children and through them, sometimes, create their own characters and write their own story. Then later, represent it on a stage," she added.

The world celebrates International Book Day on April 23. Organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the day aims to encourage reading.

Incidentally, UNESCO recently published a study shows that mobile technology improves literacy rates in developing countries. The report, issued in April 2014, on the occasion of the World Day of Book and Copyright, indicates that large numbers of people living in countries with high illiteracy rates and a severe shortage of printed material read full copies of books and novels online. In other words, the reading of books is not dying and the Internet isn't an enemy.

Story and photos by Athoob A. Al-Shuaibi