Yerevan was proclaimed the 2012 International Book by UNESCO. It was the first time that Yerevan even submitted a bid for such an honor. So why did Yerevan win this appellation on the first go around?

Cultural critic Hrach Bayadayn and Nerses Ter-Vardanyan, Advisor to the Minister of Culture, discuss these and related issues, including whether such an award and the events surrounding it can change public attitudes towards reading and what the role of government should be in spurring a renewed interest towards the printed word.