International Literacy Day, celebrated on Sept. 8, is a day devoted to raising awareness of the need for universal literacy. Considered a basic human right, literacy is the ability to read, write and communicate effectively. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), nearly 17% of the world’s adults are not literate, two thirds of which are women, and approximately 122 million children are illiterate, 60.7 percent of which are female. A grand total of about 775 million adults lack minimum literacy skills, as stated by UNESCO. During International Literacy Day, we can appreciate our literacy and promote it in others.
In an ever-increasingly globalized society, it’s important to embrace not only reading and writing in your native tongue, but also adopting an international level of literacy that encompasses diverse cultures. By celebrating authors from different cultures, we also acknowledge the need for increased literacy across the world.
Becoming globally literate is equally as important as literacy itself. If you want to read some international books aside from the classics—like “Dracula,” “Wuthering Heights,” “One Thousand and One Nights” and “Don Quixote,” all of which were written by non-American authors and set abroad—here’s a list of books written by international authors and/or have international settings and themes.
1. “Kite Runner” (2003) by Khaled Hosseini
Taking place from 1975 to 2001, Hosseini’s debut novel, “The Kite Runner,” is the redemption story of Amir, who struggles with guilt centered on his childhood friend, Hassan, that carries on through his adulthood. The novel’s thematic scheme includes the hot-and-cold relationship of father and son, the effects of the invasion of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan at the political and private levels and the tumultuous journey of redemption. “The Kite Runner” will tug at your heartstrings with its poignant portrayal Amir’s attempt to bury his past amidst the Soviet invasion, which drives him and his father from Afghanistan to California. His past follows him to the U.S., and a shocking discovery eventually drives him to return.
2. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” (2007) by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini’s second masterpiece “A Thousand Splendid Suns” focuses on the roles of women in Afghan society, contrasting with his first novel. The story revolves around Mariam and Laila, two women brought together by circumstance, during the 1960s to the 2000s. Miriam, an illegitimate child, struggles with the conditions of her birth and, later on, an abusive husband; Laila, born a generation after Mariam, is brought into Mariam’s life after tragedy strikes, and the two women form a strong bond. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” explores the oppression of women in Afghanistan while examining familial relationships, particularly that of mother and child.
3. “The Alchemist” (1988) by Paulo Coelho
Another book centered on a journey of the transformation of the self, Coelho’s “The Alchemist” follows the journey of a shepherd named Santiago as he travels to Egypt in search of treasure after having reoccurring dreams about it. Originally written in Portuguese, “The Alchemist” has been translated in 67 languages and is one of the best-selling books of this century. With an old king, magical stones, a burning love and a mysterious Alchemist, this short novel seeks to define destiny and the path to fulfilling it.
4. “Heart of Darkness” (1899) by Joseph Conrad
Journeys seems to be a common tenet and allegorical device of international novels; Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is a novella about a voyage up the Congo River in the heart of Africa during the latter half of the 19th century. Marlow, the narrator, spins a frame tale about his passage up the river to find Mr. Kurtz, with whom he becomes obsessed with after hearing about his eminence in the ivory-trading industry. Based on Conrad’s own experiences in Africa, “Heart of Darkness” addresses the corruption of Africa through imperialism, subjugation, racism and moral depravity.
5. “The Bonesetter’s Daughter” (2001) by Amy Tan
Tan’s fourth novel deals with the tumultuous relationship between an American-born Chinese woman, Ruth, and her immigrant mother, LuLing. Ruth worries that her mother is succumbing to dementia and turns to Lu Ling’s life story, which is written in Chinese, to discover why her mother is acting so strangely once she is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Upon translating the story, Ruth uncovers the truth of her mother’s birth and life in China, changing Ruth’s attitude toward family and the mother-daughter relationships across three generations.
6. “Red Earth and Pouring Rain” (1995) by Vikram Chandra
“Red Earth and Pouring Rain,” Chandra’s first novel, won the 1996 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book. Called a modern re-telling of “One Thousand and One Nights,” this novel contains stories within stories within stories, a typewriting monkey—who is a reincarnated Indian poet—a college student who returns to India after studying in America, and the history and myths of India, all combined to form an epic tale rich in Indian culture and references. “Red Earth and Pouring Rain” looks at the meaning of loyalty, the process of cultural identification and the importance of storytelling.
For those who cannot read or write, literacy is the key to a joy that’s hard to replace. Literacy can be taken for granted very easily, but for those who cherish it, it is undeniably the tool that will take us far into the future. Literacy is the means to the end that is education; education is the means to the end that is innovation and progress. Use this International Literacy Day to exercise and advocate for the ability to read and write—a valuable gift that everyone is entitled to.
