\New Swedish Books, spring 2019 1
7 Spring 2019 From book clubs to streaming Kristi
na Ahlinder, director of the Swedish Publishers’ Association, gives perspective on the Swedish publishing industry on the basis of a new book. At the end of 2018, the Swedish Publishers’ Association produced the anthology Böckernas tid (The Time of Books) as part of their 175-year jubilee. The anthology describes revolutions and and debates within the Swedish publishing industry since 1943. What has been the most important change in Swedish publishing within the period described in the book? – One major change was the abolition of fixed book prices in 1970. Many people in the industry saw free pricing as a risky idea before it came into effect. The Publishers’ Association and the Swedish Booksellers’ Association spoke of the death of the bookshop and worried that bestsellers would squeeze out more niche literature. But it wasn’t long before most publishers ” Books in digital format, are here to stay.“ were pleased with the new scheme. Suddenly anybody could sell books at any price they wanted, which enabled a variety of changes – book clubs were established and paperback sales soared. Books became more accessible than ever before. – Another important event was in 2002 when VAT on books was lowered from 25 per cent to 6 per cent. This brought book prices down and boosted sales, but it was also symbolically important. Lowering VAT on books was a demonstration of the value society put on books, reading and free expression. – The year 1975 saw the introduction of state literature support which also had great impact in terms of the range and quality of books in the Swedish market. – More generally speaking, though not a singular event, digitalisation has of course had a radical effect on the publishing industry. What was the best news for the industry in 2018? – One very positive piece of news was the bill that came in at the end of the year stating that the VAT rate for books in digital format – streamed and downloadable books, audio and e-books – should also be lowered to 6 percent. Today the VAT on these sorts of publications is still 25 per cent, but we have long argued that there should be the same rate of VAT on free expression in all its forms. The decision to lower VAT was made at EU level in 2018 and is likely to come into effect in Sweden from 1 July 2019. – Another notable event in 2018 was the discussion around copyright and free speech, including the proposal for a new EU legislation on copyright. This doesn’t have any specific benefits for the publishing industry but it shows the importance of always protecting copyright and standing up for free speech, which is under constant attack from various directions. – More personally speaking, we were very proud to celebrate 30 years of the August Prize. It is a well-loved and highly prestigious prize. What is more, it always sparks debate around the books and authors that win, which in itself is a sign that the prize is important. What sort of books are Swedish readers interested in at the moment? – It is difficult to pinpoint a single trend but one thing is certain: books in digital format, including streaming services, e-books and audio books, are here to stay. Output and sales continue to rise, but printed books are still very much in the lead – 75–80 per cent of all books produced in Sweden are in printed format.