Watching about reading
A new Canadian television series, Empire of the Word, will be one to watch for on our screens.
Alberto Manguel will host the TVO series that is based on his History of Reading. The press release sounds enticing:
Empire of the Word explores how reading and writing were born; how we learn to read; who or what might prevent us from reading; and the future of reading. Eight years in the making and shot in 15 countries, the series journeys from prehistory to present day and beyond, illustrating how reading and writing are inextricably linked to human evolution and existence.
The fourth and final episode looks at the future of reading, with reference to the terrific interactive webiste Inanimate Alice.
Empire of the Word has an accompanying interactive mystery, Lehka’s Journey. The first two of eight episodes are already online along with some interactive word games.
The program airs in Canada at the end of this month. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long to see it here.
Manguel’s 2007 Massey lecture series, The City of Words, can be purchased from several sources as a CD, but does not seem to be available in mp3 format.
