The article discusses the launch of 'Babell', a cultural event in Porto where the price of admission to sessions is the purchase of a book. The author argues that culture is a structural necessity rather than a luxury, and praises the initiative by the Livraria Lello Foundation and the Porto City Council for using literature as a tool for civic participation and resistance against conformity. The piece also criticizes the recent decision to make Saramago's works optional reading in schools.