Is the audio book a threat or a help to the printed book, and how does reading in the Swedish school stand in an international perspective?

These are a couple of the issues in the report "Reading's annual rings" written by the literary sociologists Anna Nordlund and Johan Svedjedal.

After studying statistics and development from recent decades, they describe the Swedish reading culture as both "strong and fading".

"The printed book has managed digitalisation better than other traditional media, but it has also been affected by the competition from new media that has reshaped our reading culture over the past quarter century," says Johan Svedjedal in a press release.

Nordic children read less than the average

With regard to children and young people's reading, the authors of the report state that it is strong reading experiences that provide reading motivation and that such should be the very goal of teaching.

If it is fulfilled, it in turn leads to the students' linguistic, cognitive and emotional abilities being improved.

However, there are many indications that the promotion of strong reading experiences is a neglected goal in schools, according to the report.

All Nordic countries today have a lower proportion of students who enjoy reading compared to the average in the EU and OECD countries.

Sweden has the lowest share in the Nordic region.

One possible explanation - in addition to literature teaching in schools - could be that the large use of computers and IT (more than four hours per day) is higher in the Nordic countries compared with other comparable countries.

Hear the publishers' association's CEO in the clip.