A few years ago, we hosted an art exhibition in London titled 1001 Nights. It was built around Scheherazade—the legendary queen who bought time for her life by spinning stories within stories. Today, reading itself seems to be living on borrowed time: UNESCO reports that only 49% of teenagers have basic reading comprehension.

When The Future of Skills invited us to co-host their new book club podcast, it gave Story Of Books a chance to revisit a vital question: What is to become of books – and their readers?

We created a series on the theme of “How to read,” looking at reading through material culture and social science perspectives to complement Nadya Birca’s author interviews on future-facing topics.

Now based in Kuala Lumpur, we’re continuing this collaborative journey across Asia-Pacific, the UK, and Europe. Follow our channels, drop your questions, and let’s explore the universe of books together!

youtube.com/@StoryOfBooksChannel