Writers, experts in linguistics, literary critics and representatives of the book publishing industry will discuss the modern state of literature across Russian regions and the situation on the market of printing infrastructure.

The section will include a panel discussion of the application of St. Petersburg to receive the status of the Literature Capital of the World in 2018. The section will include a traditional research convention on literature and other types of arts. The educational program of the Forum will summarize the results of the Year of Literature in Russia. The agenda will include presentations of books, a literary salon and a series of literature projects in school libraries.

The Literature and Reading Section will be led by the President of the Russian Academy of Education, President Emerita of St. Petersburg State University, Grand Doctor of Philology Lyudmila Verbitskaya. Dr. Verbitskaya has authored more than 300 papers in Russian and general linguistics. She holds honorary doctorates of the Unviersity of Bologna, University of New York and many Russian institutions of higher education. She is also President of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. Lyudmila Verbitskaya is member of the Russian Language Council under the auspices of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The preliminary version of Literature and Reading Section events can be found in the Program section of the website.