After it became known that the Swedish Academy's dictionary (SAOB) is under threat, votes have been raised for the state to go in and finance the project.

The cost of SAOB is estimated at SEK 17 million per year.

At present, more than a thousand researchers, authors and linguists have signed the petition "Save SAOB" where they appeal to Jeanette Gustafsdotter to act.

Patrik Hadenius, publishing director at Norstedts, suggests in Sydsvenskan that the language authority Institute for Language and Folk Memories could continue the work on the book.

Anna Troberg, union president for DIK, also wants to see the state step in and save SAOB.

"A new Minister of Culture with the ambition of making a positive impression for the future could with advantage contribute to the resources required to preserve and further develop the Swedish Academy's dictionary," she writes.

"Can not take a stand"

The Swedish Academy's permanent secretary Mats Malm has also expressed that he is happy to receive help from the Ministry of Culture.

- There is no solution we would turn to.

It would be fabulous to be able to run it further, of course, he says to Kulturnytt.

But the Academy does not yet seem to have raised the issue directly with the Minister of Culture.

"The responsibility for financing the dictionary lies with the Swedish Academy and we have not received any question from the Swedish Academy regarding the dictionary's future funding and can therefore not take a position on the issue," writes Jeanette Gustafsdotter in an email.

She adds:

"The Swedish Academy's dictionary is important, both as a cultural heritage and from a literary and language policy perspective."

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Christian Mattsson Bo Wendt and Eva Nordgren work at the Swedish Academy's dictionary editorial office in Lund.

Photo: Johan Dernelius / SVT