Nostalgic Embrace: Cherishing Memories with Reader’s Digest
“To all the 80s and 90s kids out there, I’m sure that you have a memory of Reader’s Digest at one point in your life. It’s saddening that after 86 years, Reader’s Digest will permanently close its doors.
According to the last editor, ‘It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of Reader’s Digest UK closing. This magazine carries a profound legacy, holding special memories for many — its closure marks the end of an era.’
It’s true, I felt saddened because Reader’s Digest is a part of our way of life. It’s a global magazine, and before the internet, this is where you would find heartfelt stories. And who could forget about the sweepstakes and contests by Reader’s Digest? Do you remember their giveaway contest of red cars? All you had to do was return the key and subscribe. The editors of Reader’s. I still remember trying to submit original and witty jokes to Reader’s Digest by mail because they paid if your joke was chosen. They must have been receiving thousands of letters from all over the world. The letters and stories of subscribers, along with photographs, made up Reader’s Digest. And now that Reader’s Digest is closing, it will become a collector’s item.
The first Reader’s Digest office was established in Manhattan, New York, by the couple Dewitt and Lila Wallace.
For many years, it was the best-selling consumer magazine. Because of its immense popularity, Reader’s Digest expanded into Arab countries. Even today, you can still find Reader’s Digest copies being sold in stores like Mercury Drug. Back then, it was the most-read periodical on the planet. No other magazine has achieved such a level of reach in the world. It had countless readers, about 40 million, but with the advent of the internet, it was inevitably affected.
Today, they still have an online website and presence, but let’s admit that it will never be the same. It’s still a unique feeling to read Reader’s Digest — I even feel like buying and collecting the last copies of Reader’s Digest, just as a way to remember it for the years to come.”