Local young reading councils
My wonderful predecessor, Nioosha Shams, decided during her time as a Reading Ambassador to start a Youth Council to act as a complimentary body to the Reading Council. Where the Reading Council consists of adults from the spheres of publishing, schools and libraries, the Youth Council became a space for young people to have a voice on their own terms.
Nioosha Shams brought together nine incredible young people from Stockholm and Södertälje to explore young people’s reading conditions together, with a key focus on multilingualism. Over time, these young people became emboldened to take up more space - they participated in literature festivals, spoke on the podcast Skriv om oss!, held author talks and were interviewed by the media. They grew tremendously and became reading role models for many other young people.
Nioosha and the Youth Council created a meaningful and effective arena for participation and co-creative decision making. Young people became more able to have a say in reading promotion initiatives and shaping young people’s right to read.
To be a Reading Ambassador
When I stepped into the role of Reading Ambassador, I naturally wanted to continue and expand this great initiative as a form of co-creation with and along¬side young people. Within the framework of my key issue ‘young people’s reading beyond the cities’, I decided to start three local Young Reading Councils. Each works in a different setting, with entirely different conditions, and they are spread across Sweden and Sápmi. Each Young Reading Council is tasked with working alongside local organizations and col¬laborators to create a sustainable local infrastructure in literature and reading promotion.
I asked for help in finding where this expanded pilot initiative should take place - in interviews in national media and across various literary and library events. In the end, after receiving suggestions and nominations from far and wide, we settled on a wonderful and varied trio of places and partners for our Young Reading Councils.
Exploring young people's reading
Each setting has its own leader, methods and focus. In some places, there is close collaboration with language and library institutions centered on indigenous people. In others, the Councils work with local youth groups, literature centres or nerd associations. What all three have in common is their form: a local reading council leader, supported by a large local network, and in close co-operation with a group of young people. They also share a task: exploring methods and conditions for young people’s reading. There is a particular focus on live literature methods and initiatives that work with young people’s mental health.
I am so happy to finally introduce our three Young Reading Councils, and all they have to contribute:
Jokkmokk
Collaboration between: author Moa Backe Åstot, the Sámi Language Centre, the Sámi Library, Tjállegoahte – Sápmi Writers’ Centre and Polarbiblio.
Focus: Sámi oral storytelling traditions and access to stolen mother tongues.
Årjäng
Collaboration between: literary academic Jakob Olsson, Nordmarken Proud Nerds Association and Årjäng Public Library.
Focus: table-top role-playing and nerd culture as bibliotherapy and live literature methods.
Sandviken
Collaboration between: poet and rapper Nour Badra, Litteraturhuset Trampolin, Rapatac, Backbeatbolaget Kungen and Bessemerbiblioteket.
Focus: poetry, music and theatre as live literature methods.
