Column | Literature is not born out of nothing

For the government program the recorded increase in value added tax would, if realized, increase the value added tax on books from ten percent to fourteen percent.

The effect of the increase on the price of an individual book is small, but its psychological effect may be large. Book sales have already decreased, and if the book becomes even more expensive, you may not even go to the bookstore.

The increase in price does not turn the book upside down, but an increase in value added tax will inevitably have many consequences.

in Finland literature is appreciated. However, it is not always realized that appreciation does not arise out of nothing.

Bookselling is not just any business, but the book industry is its own ecosystem, which includes, in addition to booksellers, authors, publishing houses, libraries and schools. Institutions like the university and the press are also vital parts of the food chain. For literature to flourish, the book ecosystem must be healthy.

If book sales shrink, the financial situation of literary authors will deteriorate even further. Creative work requires space and time, and a writer does not live on thanks.

The publisher, on the other hand, must be able to take risks and publish small-circulation literature and translations – more than a dozen products of Anglo-American culture. Ideas from the undergrowth of marginal and experimental literature also sprout into works loved by the general public. An increase in value added tax would make it difficult for small publishing houses to operate and would force large publishing houses to play more and more on the safe side.

So literature is doing well, the quality of reception must also be nurtured. It is done by investing in literary research, supporting the operating conditions of critics and developing literary pedagogy in schools. In addition, books must be available. Finland has a great library system, but in terms of literacy and reading, it is important that reading can also be obtained at home.

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There are also bookish people among fundamentalists.

It is thought that the reductions in value added tax will mainly benefit those with high incomes, but let the book be an exception to the rule; it should not be a luxury product only for the wealthy. It is worth noting that the price increase would not only affect novels, but also children’s and youth literature and all types of non-fiction.

When one of the parts of the food chain falters, literature is in danger of disappearing. It, in turn, has an impact on literacy and the mental state of the nation – culture, understanding and self-expression.

There are worrying signs of a recession. It’s time for the Finnish parliament to give its trust to a minister courting supporters of white supremacy.

Book is not a magic rebellion. A sleeper does not get better by picking up a novel, and there are bookish people among fascists as well as fundamentalists.

However, a rich literary culture, citizens’ good reading skills and a solid cultural base help fight the spell of extremism and ruthlessness.

In the European Union, the importance of reading and literacy has been understood: in April 2022, the Council of the Union approved a directive that encourages member states to lower the value-added rate of books. In Britain, which of course has its own problems regarding cultural equality, they stick to the zero tax on books.

The State Council it is worth considering his decision. The increase in VAT on books does not correspond to the principles of the coalition’s education policy.

Changing the government’s program regarding the value added tax would especially give basic Finns who were upset because of the Junnila case an opportunity to show their support for the Finnish book industry. In this way, the party can show whether it has the prerequisites to become the “movement defending civilization and education” that it claims to be on its website.

The author is a writer and critic.