Libri invites listeners on an exciting cultural and literary journey in its newly launched podcast series. The ten-part series, titled Világlapozó (“World Reader”), explores the cultural heritage and everyday life of different regions — the first three episodes introduce South America, Scandinavia, and Central Europe. Listeners will get to know both well-known and lesser-known authors, as well as the most remarkable classic and contemporary works from each region. The podcast is hosted by musician Laci Sallai, frontman of the band Felső Tízezer and bassist of Platon Karataev, and each episode features guests who are literary experts, translators, and cultural professionals familiar with the given region. Episodes are available on Libri’s Spotify and YouTube channels.
Whose stories inspired Gabriel García Márquez when he wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude? Is South American literature truly characterized by passion, mysticism, and sensuality? What is the typical literary genre of the Scandinavians, and are the Nordic peoples really the happiest? Do Hungarians read Czech or Polish authors — and are our writers appreciated elsewhere in Central Europe? These are among the many questions explored in the first episodes of Világlapozó, produced by Libri in collaboration with Betone Studio.
“If you want to understand the world better, read books and travel often,” says host Laci Sallai at the start of each episode. The series encourages listeners to discover and better understand the literature and culture of various continents and countries. Alongside regional experts, each episode features translators, cultural professionals, and travel bloggers who share their insights and experiences.
“The world’s literary and cultural treasures are inexhaustible — a message we also emphasized during our Year of Reading campaign this year, when we invited readers to explore the literature of a new region each month, ‘reading around the world’ together. Our new podcast aims to provide a guide through this vibrant mix — whether you’re traveling through books or in real life. Through the conversations in Világlapozó, listeners can not only discover the literature of different countries but also gain a deeper understanding of the people who live there,” said Orsolya Stefanie Ludvig, Libri’s Director of Marketing and Communications and the creator of the podcast.
Currently, the first three episodes — focusing on South American, Scandinavian, and Central European literature — are available. In the coming weeks, new episodes will take listeners to Austria, Turkey, Spain and Portugal, North America, Japan and South Korea, India, and Africa, each exploring the literature and culture of the region.
“I never go a day without reading — there’s always a book by my bed and another in my tour backpack. I try to read everything from youth literature to the great Russian novels. While recording the episodes, I kept jotting down titles to add to my reading list — the guests mentioned so many fascinating books. These podcast episodes are great for discovering new reading ideas and approaches, and they show how literature truly is a window to the world. Through it, we can get closer to places we may never live in — yet, thanks to books, feel as if we were born there ourselves,” said Laci Sallai, host of Világlapozó.
Episodes of Világlapozó can be listened to on Libri’s Spotify and YouTube channels.
The Világlapozó podcast is a key element of Libri’s 2025 Year of Reading campaign. Throughout the year, Libri encourages everyone to “collect pages” by tracking the number of pages they read — with the goal of collectively “circling the Earth” by the end of the year, converting pages read into distances traveled. Each month highlights a different region’s literature; in October, the focus is on Australia and Oceania.
More details: https://www.libri.hu/olvasaseve
