Cultural Studies paper by Dömötör, Teodóra
Karoli Gaspar University, Budapest

Bibliotherapy in Hungary amid Covid-19 (Accepted)

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This paper sets out to explore the importance of bibliotherapy in Hungary amid Covid-19. The
art of using books for therapeutic purposes precedes the pandemic, but it finds particular
application now when individuals need increasingly more support for emotional distress caused
by loss and mistrust. Social capital has declined in Hungary in recent years due to the almost
permanent state of emergency. The coronavirus has dramatically changed the way in which
people live: working and studying from home became a new norm. This shift raises important
questions about the impact of the disease on social connections. Without physical interaction,
trust is gradually lost and division is reinforced. Through the long months of the pandemic, the
hope of overcoming fear and regaining trust, meeting with loved ones, as well as travelling
freely again was a guiding light for many. Although people were confined to their homes, many
of them made epic voyages to desired places and people with the aid of an old friend, a book.
Recent research conducted in Hungary shows that the number of books published and sold in
2020 was at a record high. Reading has a positive impact on human wellbeing. Bibliotherapy,
which harnesses the meditative power of books, can teach helpful coping skills and provide
therapeutic strategies in difficult or unknown situations such as the pandemic, leading to the
creation of a healthier, high trust environment for everyone. Rebuilding social bonds, perhaps
with the help of bibliotherapy, is vital to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Teodóra Dömötör received her Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Surrey, UK. She currently works as an Assistant Professor at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest, Hungary. Her primary research goals are directed towards the study of twentieth-century transnational American literature with a strong emphasis on the narrative representation of national and gender identity, immigration, and trauma. She is committed to interdisciplinary research: psychoanalysis, gender studies, and social history form the basis of her arguments. Her articles, chapters, and book reviews have appeared (or are forthcoming) in American and European publications.