This year, Sweden holds the presidency of the Nordic Council ofMinisters. The Government has tasked the Swedish Arts Council with implementing initiatives focusing on children's and young people's reading. One of the initiatives is the seminar Reading so into the Nordic countries, which Kultrådet organizes together with the Swedish National Agency for Education at the Book Fair in Gothenburg. The seminar focuses on collaboration between culture and school for children's and young people's right to read. From Sweden participates Parisa Liljestrand, Minister of Culture and Lotta Edholm, Minister ofCoal. From Finland Sari Multala, Minister of Science and Culture, and from Norway, Lubna Jaffery, Minister of Culture, will participate.
"All the Nordic countries are working to increase reading, especially among children and young people. Now that Sweden holds the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, we have the opportunity to meet, learn from each other and develop our cooperation. The seminar highlights political will, researchers' knowledge and young people's voices, which enables a clear direction forward," says Kajsa Ravin, Director General of the Swedish Arts Council.
Young people's own voices are an important part of the conversation. Ahead of the seminar, the ministers have heard what young people in the Nordic Region think about reading. Around ten young people from the Nordic countries have, under the leadership of Young Stories, Kulturskolan Stockholm, held a workshop where they created films about the importance of reading in their lives, the films are shown and discussed during the seminar.
Pamela Schultz Nybacka, Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, and Tarja Alatalo, Professor of Educational Work, will open the seminar by talking about research on children's and young people's reading in school and in their spare time. The conversation is led by Matilda Westerman, author and presenter.
The seminar will take place on Thursday 26 September at 11 a.m.—12 noon, and can be seen for free, without a seminar card at the Book Fair.
Via the links below, you will find a knowledge base on children's and young people's reading from the participating researchers.
Read more
The Swedish Arts Council at the Gothenburg Book Fair
Reading in the Nordic countries on the Book Fair's website
https://www.kulturradet.se/nyheter/2024/nordiskt-ministermote-om-barns-och-ungas-lasning/