I never go anywhere without a book in my bag – Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade

Set in Stalin’s Soviet society with its incomprehensible bureaucracy and hypocrisy, The Master and Margarita by Michail Bulgakov, is a beautiful love story and brutal satire, which is at times hilariously funny and burlesque. Not only have I read it several times but I have also seen it performed in various theatres. .
Reading has always been an important part of my life. Ever since I was a little girl I could disappear completely in the world of words, dreaming, and escaping, learning, deaf to my parents call for food. I continued reading with a torch in my bed for many hours after official bedtime. As an adult, books continue to be a vital element of my life. I never go anywhere without a book in my bag.
In my current work I need read a lot of official papers, memos and briefings. It has become an absolute necessity to also read novels in order to keep my mental health. I am deeply concerned about the fact that children today read less and less. Reading is such a wonderful way to enrich your imagination and learn about yourselves and others.

Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade