Gorgeous Photos of Readers from Across the Globe

The love of reading goes beyond national borders and envelopes the world. Acclaimed photographer Steve MCurry, best known for his shot of the "Afghan Girl" that made the cover of National Geographic in 1985, has taken photos of readers from across the globe for his blog.

A Burmese monk leans on a windowsill, absorbed in a book.
Photograph by Steve McCurry

The section of McCurry's blog that focuses on readers in India, Burma, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere is called To Fly, named after a quote by philosopher A.C. Grayling:

To read is to fly:

it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view

over wide terrains of history,

human variety, ideas, shared experiences and the

fruits of many inquiries.

Many of the gorgeous photographs were taken in Southeast Asia. But some of the pensive subjects were photographed in other Asian countries, the Middle East, and parts of Europe and North America. A shopkeeper in Yemen sits amid his spices and wares, drawn into a book. A sunbather in Thailand hoists a book above her as she lounges poolside. A girl in Germany huddles next to a warm stove, her brow deeply furrowed as she studies the book in her lap. Steve McCurry has captured so many beautiful images of lovers of the written word. Admire them HERE.