Ann Morgan considered herself well read -- until she discovered the "massive blindspot" on her bookshelf. Amid a multitude of English and American authors, there were very few books from beyond the English-speaking world. So she set an ambitious goal: to read one book from every country in the world over the course of a year. Now she's urging other Anglophiles to read translated works so that publishers will work harder to bring foreign literary gems back to their shores. Explore interactive maps of her reading journey here: go.ted.com/readtheworld

Ann Morgan: My year reading a book from every country in the world

My year reading a book from every country in the world

A quest to read a book from every UN-recognized country reveals the power of stories to bridge divides and expand worldviews.

Only 4.5% of literary works published in the UK are translations, spotlighting the scarcity of global narratives in English.

The global reading journey transformed a list of countries into living, breathing entities, enriching the reader's perspective.