Building Reading Communities Around Asia
PanelFred Minn, Kristine Mandigma, Laura Mannering | Moderator: Loh Chin Ee
Literacy is key to empowering individuals, fostering critical thinking, and building more inclusive, informed societies. Beyond the classroom, literary festivals and community reading initiatives offer dynamic, engaging platforms to cultivate a love for reading and storytelling—especially among young and emerging readers. This panel brings together organisers and advocates who are at the forefront of championing reading culture across Asia.
The speakers will share insights into the power of literary events and educational programmes to spark curiosity, bridge cultural gaps, and make reading more accessible and inclusive. The panel will also explore strategies for audience engagement, designing meaningful experiences for young readers and families, and measuring the impact of their outreach.
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Fred Minn (South Korea)
With numerous leadership roles in storytelling-related organisations, Fred Minn has built a career in creating interactive content from picture books.
Following a family legacy in the publishing industry, his work over the years has focused on making books and culture more accessible to children, while supporting the development of the picture book industry by actively participating in the work of foundations such as IBBY.
His efforts in organising the annual NAMBOOK Festival and the biannual NAMI COUNCOURS, held at one of South Korea’s most popular tourist destinations, Nami Island, have brought picture books and the art of picture book illustration out of traditional venues such as libraries, and into the realm of active participation and enjoyment for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who have joined the events over the years.
Kristine Mandigma (Philippines)
Kristine "Tin" Mandigma is the President and CEO of Vibal Group and President of IBBY Philippines.
Laura Mannering (Hong Kong)
Through her work as an educator Laura has witnessed first-hand the power of books and words. An avid reader, and writer, whose love of literature and storytelling led her to the Hong Kong Young Readers Festival in 2022. She now leads the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, as Executive Director, advocating for language education and literacy. Laura is a member of the Hong Kong Women in Publishing Society and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has a BA in Classical Literature from Dalhousie University, and a PDGE in Early Childhood Education from The University of Hong Kong.
Moderator Loh Chin Ee (Singapore)
Loh Chin Ee is Associate Professor at the English Language and Literature Department and Associate Dean (Impact & Partnerships) at the Office for Research at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. Her research focuses on reading at the intersection of equity, technology and globalisation.
She is the co-editor of Little Things: an Anthology of Poetry (Ethos, 2013) & Poetry Moves (Ethos, 2020). Her most recent edited book is The Reading Lives of Teens: Research and Practice (Routledge, 2025). You can read more about her work on https://www.lohchinee.com.
Programme dates and times are subject to change.