A new meeting of the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club to focus on how to read about the future and not fear change

The world is changing so fast that it is sometimes difficult to understand what is a real threat and what is just another scary story from the internet. How can reading help one maintain clarity of thought, resist panic, and learn to make balanced decisions in this torrent of information? On 22 October, experts of the Literary Club "What to Read?! Meanings" will share answers to these questions at the National Centre RUSSIA.

In the modern world, popular science literature serves as one of the main tools that help make sense of what is happening, develop critical thinking, and protect oneself from information noise. Participants of the meeting titled "Risks of the Future. What to read to prepare for them?" will discuss how to distinguish a real danger from fiction, whether a smart book can help cope with burnout, and how to read about the future in a right way, so that the unknown does not frighten but inspires.

The discussion will also touch upon scenario-based reading and the ability to plan one's life in times of crisis. Experts will explain why good analysis unites scientists, engineers, and readers; why fiction sometimes predicts the future more accurately than scientific reports; address the theme of historical experience; and reflect on what the world might look like in 30–50 years and what place Russia will occupy in it.

The meeting will be moderated by the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Centre for Political Conjuncture, professor at HSE University, candidate of political sciences, and founder of the "Chesnakov. Library" project, Alexei Chesnakov. The discussion will feature Valery Fedorov, Director General of the VCIOM Analytical Centre and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, and Ruslan Yusufov, futurist, head of the Department of Social Forecasting and Modelling at the Institute of Social Architecture of the Presidential Platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity," and founder and managing partner of MINDSMITH.

The original club of the National Centre RUSSIA, "What to Read?!," is created for those who see in books the key to personal development and to understanding the past, present, and future. The focus of the experts and guests of this intellectual platform is the development of reading culture, discussion of literary legacy, and the exchange of ideas. Anyone can join new meetings of the club free of charge, but registration on the russia.ru website is required. For the current schedule of events, see the "Events" section.