Literature, Leisure, and Well-Being: Reading Practices and Human Resilience In Times of Turbulence

Contemporary societies are increasingly shaped by social, economic, environmental, and technological disruptions that generate uncertainty and place significant pressures on individual and collective well-being. In such turbulent times, reading emerges not merely as a recreational activity but as a meaningful leisure practice that supports emotional stability, personal growth, and resilience. As a freely chosen and intrinsically rewarding activity, literary reading offers opportunities for reflection, imagination, and engagement with diverse human experiences.

This session explores the relationship between literature, leisure, and human resilience through the lens of John Neulinger’s Leisure Theory, which defines leisure as a state of mind characterized by perceived freedom and intrinsic motivation. From this perspective, reading functions as a purposeful leisure activity through which individuals seek enjoyment, meaning, and self-understanding. Literary engagement enables readers to cultivate empathy, regulate emotions, broaden perspectives, and construct narratives of hope and endurance in times of crisis and change.

The session explores how diverse reading practices foster resilience, well-being, and social connection, while examining digital-age reading habits, online communities, identity formation, and leisure experiences during uncertain and turbulent times.

Bringing together perspectives from leisure studies, literary studies, sociology, psychology, and cultural studies, the session highlights literature’s enduring significance as a leisure resource that promotes well-being, resilience, and human flourishing in an increasingly complex world.