The Refined Reader (18) Of Cigars and Books

The Refined Reader aims to take a look at the journey to where we are as readers today.  It's part history, part commentary - providing a brief, conversational summary of various aspects of our bookish past and comparing it to how it has affected us in modern times.  I love history, but I am no historian, and while I plan to do my research, if there are any errors, please let me know!  This is as much a learning venture for me as I hope it is for my blog visitors!

This is an interesting story I happened to come across and I wanted to share it through The Refined Reader.  There is a tradition in Cuba where readers (lectores) read to cigar rollers in the factory to help them pass the time since cigar rolling is monotonous work.  It started in 1865 when journalist and poet, Saturnino Martinez, organized the first reading for a cigar factory in Havana.  The practice became more widespread when cigar factories flourished - in the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Mexico, but it has since dwindled and now Cuba is the only country that employs these readers.

The reader usually starts out by reading a newspaper to the workers and then after a break, will pick up where they left off the day before in a book.  It is because of this tradition that a couple cigar brands were named after books - the brands Montecristos and Romeo y Julieta.  But classics are not the only books read.  Sometimes popular novels, non-fiction and self-help books are read to the workers and sometimes authors will drop by and read their works.  It's really a fantastic system to keep the cigar workers eager to come to work and mentally engaged and connected with their co-workers.  I would think it would be wonderful to be able to talk about these books with their co-workers and it helps to broaden their horizons by learning something new.  And in the past it was a sometimes subversive act since the workers would have taboo political books on independence read to them.

It is conjectured in the articles I read about this that listening to these readers helps turn out a greater quality of cigar.  Which is a very nice thought, but I'm never going to find out.

Do you listen to audiobooks at work (if you are able to)?  Do you think it would help you be more productive?

Sources:
Cigar Aficionado (just disregard the nonsense on the pleasures of smoking)
BBC News
Project MUSE