Reading Don Quixote with the Slovenian professor Stanislav Zimic, who had found a loyal companion in the novel during the Nazi occupation of his hometown, had a profound impact on me and inspired me to approach the novel as a lens through which to view the world. The echo of his Slavic accent, interwoven with the narrative, transformed the text into a canvas upon which we could collectively imagine a future for all and deepen our understanding of shared humanity.

This transformative experience revealed the novel’s extraordinary power to foster dialogue, imagination, and boundless curiosity, while leveraging the regenerative force of humor—interconnected elements that together can dismantle barriers and drive innovation.