It was with great dismay and a sense of urgency that I read Patrick Wintour’s piece about the decline of the British Council (Why the financial crisis at the British Council matters as UK pushes soft power, 25 January).
I was 13 when I discovered the tiny British Council outpost in what used to be my hometown in the east of Slovakia. I still remember my excitement at finding Roald Dahl books in English and Harry Potter audiobooks on cassette. Having access to a treasure trove of British books played a vital role in fuelling my passion for learning English and, a few years later, in securing a scholarship to go to study in the UK.
