Recently I keep hearing the same questions over and over at literary functions in Macao. How can we promote local arts? How can we encourage reading in Macao? How do we raise the standard of writing among young people? For a place of Macao’s size, the quality and quantity of literary works are fairly decent. But still, the visibility of local writing is extremely weak. And sadly, as rents have soared in Macao in recent years, the already small number of bookstores here continues to dwindle, with shops shuttering their gates one by one. But the tougher things get, the harder we must think about how we can revitalise Macao’s literary scene and draw more attention to it.

We can start by discussing whether the city has a “literary atmosphere”. This is a very abstract concept that’s hard to define. But upon closer inspection, we can detect whether a place has such a “bookish feeling” to it by looking for certain signs. Would the publishing of a new book, a literary prize or a new writer garner any interest from the media? Do government officials or thought leaders share their reading recommendations with the public? Are people who are waiting in line for the bus or hanging out in a café getting lost in books? At the end of 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama and his two daughters bought books at an independent bookstore in support of Small Business Saturday. The 17 books he purchased were of great interest to the media. In other words, fostering a literary atmosphere isn’t something that can be achieved solely through government policies or investment. Reading is a habit that can only come from within oneself, which in turn increases the visibility of reading as an activity to influence others to do the same.

Taiwan’s Eslite has been working hard to redefine the concept of “bookstore”. It’s exported its brand outside of Taiwan to Hong Kong, despite the sky-high rents in the city, and is starting to break into the competitive mainland Chinese market. Eslite even caught the attention of CNN, which wrote a piece titled “Nightclubs for literature? Why bookselling is booming in Taiwan”. Eslite is a master at fostering a literary atmosphere; the company believes that as society becomes increasingly fragmented and solitary, the more people long for a feeling of warm interaction. It has successfully created a friendly, welcoming environment for book lovers. Isn’t this what a literary atmosphere should feel like? This should be inspiring for Macao. Wasn’t this place also once a small city full of warmth and humanity?

In today’s Macao, the cost of living keeps rising and there is a shortage of labour. There is little room for small cultural businesses to thrive. It is difficult to “grow flowers in concrete”, as they say, but it’s still something worth trying. The key is to absorb literature into everyday life, and there are a few ways to get this started. For example, we can hold small reading clubs in schools and communities; organise themed book swaps through the internet, bookstores or cafés, while local business and political groups can encourage their employees to start reading groups to promote reading within their organisations. Reading in Macao needs to be more than just someone doing it cooped up in their bedroom. Local people need to be able to connect with literature too. Only in that way, will a literary atmosphere start to take root in our everyday lives.