On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, February 21, the Palace of Science opens a space for discussion about reading, comprehension, and language as a living bridge between generations. In a time dominated by fast-paced digital content, motivating teenagers to read is a serious challenge for both teachers and parents. How can literature become relevant again? How can classic works be brought closer to a generation that largely experiences the world through screens?
The author of the lecture, Anđelka Petrović, drawing on her experience working with students and leading the reading club just_čitaonica, presents an inspiring method in which literary works that are not part of the mandatory curriculum are used as powerful tools for understanding contemporary society and addressing educational challenges.
Through the analysis of three literary classics, we will explore how themes close to young people can become tools for awakening teenagers’ reading curiosity.
With The Great Gatsby (F. S. Fitzgerald), we will examine how Instagram aesthetics, personal branding, and the phenomenon of old money vs. new money can help bring classics closer to children. Slaughterhouse-Five (K. Vonnegut), the cult anti-novel, will be viewed as a narrative that addresses trauma, the absurdity of war, and post-traumatic stress disorder — themes that teenagers intuitively recognize and understand. With the help of the novel The Reader (B. Schlink), we will open questions of confronting dark secrets, collective guilt, and the burden adults leave to future generations. With the aim of keeping the discussion practical rather than purely theoretical, the lecture will also cover concrete ways of applying these works in the school environment, as well as how reading can become a space for understanding and dialogue, rather than obligation.
Admission is free and registration is not required.