While universal literacy is one of the most pervasive targets of today's educational systems, it is at the same time perhaps the narrowest of all goals. Standardised testing reduces language and literacy to tasks associated with reading and writing. As learning communities become increasingly diverse, teachers, administrators and policy makers are finding themselves in a position where in order to maximise student development they need to broaden their conceptualisations of literacy, merge curricular areas and implement inclusive practices. Addressing literacy instructors and policy makers in particular, the authors of this article present a WORLD view of literacy (Word, Orality, Re-vision, Literacies, Discourses) towards making sense of contemporary literacy research. The purpose of this paper is multi-layered in terms of theory and practice. On the philosophical and theoretical level, it is intended to extend our understanding of literacy in view of both historical conceptualisations and contemporary views of literacy. On the reflective and practical level, it offers a unique way to assess our literacy practice and re-vision what we do. Demonstrating the universality of this approach, this is illustrated by a few ideas from a poem, a children's book, a dystopian novel for teenagers and a film.