Nowadays the world has changed in so many ways. Some for the better, some for the worse. Maybe one of those things that seems to be changing is that reading seems to be out of fashion. The world revolves around our modern technology, Pc, Cell Phones, instagramers and Youtubers. But will that trend stay here forever? I do not think so. There is still a big longing to dip into adventures that can only be found in books. Want to find out what the trend is like in Iceland? Here you have our Books in Iceland: The importance of literature.
Reading is not just a leisure activity. It also has so many positive effects in our brain and emotions, everyone should be reading a book by now! Reading increases your communication skills, improves your vocabulary, grammar and both written and oral expression. We are all aware that lately, books are not on the top leisure activities. People is switching to other type of entertainment. But is that so in Iceland? What is the status of reading books in Iceland?
Books in Iceland are a huge tradition and hopefully it will remain that way. I guess that due to our location and weather conditions, people need a way to pass the time. Iceland has always been a nation of story tellers; you might be surprise to know that 1 out of every 3 Icelanders have written a book! People in Iceland are constantly reading, buying or writing books.
Why is then possible to dedicate so much time to books in Iceland? well it’s a cultural reason. Our society simply creates the right environment for it.
In Iceland, the government will pay a salary to professional writers so they can have enough free time to write their books calmly and peacefully. They can earn about 2400€ per month that will allow them to pay their bills and not worry about having another job besides writing. There are book publishers almost everywhere, some are quite tiny so they are even located in a garage. But this will not stop them from publishing or distributing books in Iceland. After all, this country’s income in the literature industry is huge compared to its scarce population.
Tradition helps as well. We cannot forget about Christmas time and Bókatíðindi. In many countries, people have toy catalogues, this way, it is easier for kids to choose what Santa will bring. Well, Bókatíðindi is sort of the same but for books. This catalogue is available approximately in November so everyone can choose the book we would like as a gift. It is a Christmas tradition to give books, no wonder why 93% of Icelanders buys, at least, one book per year.
Books in Iceland: The Importance Of Literature
As you can see, literature is a huge thing in Iceland. Statistics show that at least 1 out of 10 Icelanders will publish a book once in their lifetime. And if the probably does not increase, at least I hope, it remains as it is.
