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Reading makes writing

What is writing?

Writing is a way to organize thoughts and capture images that might otherwise fade away. And reading feeds that process. That’s a fact.

What my generation reads

My peers (over 60) today mainly choose well-written novels with recognizable themes, family stories and exciting thrillers.

Biographies, historical fiction and non-fiction about travel, culture and life wisdom are also doing well.

I have a friend who reads nothing but biographies. She then retells those stories as if she were there herself. She has a memory like an elephant. Her husband too, by the way. A true homo universalis! And you only become that if you read a lot.

I prefer to read older books. With their detailed descriptions, they evoke a certain nostalgia and read more calmly than many contemporary novels.

Young people and reading behaviour

You often hear that young people read less, but the reality is a little more nuanced. They do read, but selectively. Their preference is mainly for books that match their favorite movies, series, games or personal hobbies.

Genres such as fantasy, sci-fi and romantasy (a mix of romance and fantasy) are doing very well with young people. This growing popularity fits in with a broader need for escapism. In uncertain times, like today, people like to disappear into fantasy worlds.

Did we also read fantasy and science fiction in the past?

Yes, of course! Fantasy and science fiction are not new genres. In the sixties and seventies, too, we read stories that took us to other worlds, both at school and beyond.

At school, Dutch literature was central: Gerard Walschap, Stijn Streuvels, Louis Paul Boon. Authors who are difficult to read nowadays. Both the image of time and the way of writing have completely changed.

Reading comprehension, language skills and literary history took up an important part of the teaching hours. Free reading was limited, but those who discovered their own preferences such as Tolkien or Narnia developed a lifelong reading habit.

Nowadays, schools are putting more emphasis on reading comprehension again, which I think is a positive evolution. More difficult for the student, yes, but somehow an investment in their future.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis were wildly popular fantasy books in the sixties and seventies, although they had already been published ten years earlier.

Science fiction also played a major role. I still remember that the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey echoed through the speakers every noon in the student restaurant in Ghent. It was a melody that perfectly reflected the futuristic nature of the genre.

Novels also did very well. I liked to read the novels of Daphne du Maurier, such as Frenchman’s Creek and Jamaica Inn. Her stories drew me to other worlds, full of excitement, and mysterious places.

They were books that could swallow you up completely. They taught me that reading could also be an adventure. This was separate from textbooks or compulsory literature.

Whether it was Rebecca du Maurier, Tolkien, Lewis, or Kubrick: many of these books would create a reading habit. This habit would last a lifetime.

Reading frequency and language skills

And yet young people read the least of all age groups. Only 1 in 5 young people is said to read something daily in their spare time. That is the lowest level in twenty years.

That’s a shame, because reading not only stimulates your sense of language and vocabulary, but also… writing. I regularly come across inaccuracies on the web, and even on TV, spelling errors sometimes appear in translations.

On the other hand, shifting the focus away from strictly grammatically correct writing also has something beautiful. It opens the door to a new, creative way of writing. This way can be surprising and refreshing.

The writing level of young people today

Today’s young people can write surprisingly well, especially when it comes to personal experience and authentic stories. Digital media make them strong in short, fast texts and visual language. Longer, formal texts sometimes require a little more practice. Abstract reflection also sometimes requires more practice.

It is a completely different way of writing. For them, it’s no longer about perfect sentences. It’s about voices that want to be heard. That is also a good reason to write.

Initiatives to get young people to read

Contrary to what you might think, there is no lack of initiatives to get young people to read. There are various platforms and projects in the Netherlands and Belgium that stimulate reading pleasure:

Dutch reading and reading promotion platforms

• Hebban.nl: the largest reading community in the Netherlands and Flanders, with book tips, reviews and the annual Hebban Reading Challenge.

Belgian initiatives and library services

• Everyone Reads: campaigns such as Youth Book Month and Reading Jury, with local reading activities in Flanders and Brussels.
• Reading Jury/Internet Jury: young people up to the age of 18 read along and vote for books.
• Bibliotheek.be ebook services: Flemish libraries offer thousands of ebooks and audiobooks free of charge to members.

By the way, you can also leave book reviews on Hebban.nl. You could also participate in reading clubs ((though the site now says these won’t be pursued in the future). This is a fun way to discuss books. This way you can also connect with other readers.

I’ve done it myself once. The books discussed are usually light-hearted. The replies to your comments are sometimes sharp. But it’s fun to participate in a reading club.

Bookstores and young people

Recent trends show that young people visit bookstores selectively. They often combine the visit with a social experience, such as an day out with friends or family.

Bookstores that organize events, workshops or reading clubs remain popular. In Lisbon I saw that dozens of young people were waiting in front of the library Livraria Lello. This bookstore is trending on social media. Probably the young people just wanted a picture, but still.

In this way, they experience a place where stories live and books may once again become part of their world.

However, young people do combine physical bookstores with online webshops, because these latter are fast, easy and often cheaper. Reviews and recommendations are also easier to find online than in physical stores.

But a real bookstore is still the real thing.

Choose me, I want you to read me!

When you walk through a library, everything comes to life. The smell of old and new books, the muffled murmur of the other visitors. It gives a sense of peace that you will never find online. Between the shelves, the books almost seem to shout: “Choose me, I want to be read.”

Behind each of these stories is a writer who wants to make his or her voice heard. Every book has been written and published at some point. Someone once decided that it was worth seeing the light of day.

Influencers and cookbooks sell well

Authors my age have a harder time selling their books today. Publishers are more likely to choose books by well-known TV faces or social media figures. Even in quizzes such as De slimste mens, established names have to make way for young influencers. And admit it: they are also doing very well.

Cookbooks are still selling like hot cakes while thrift stores are full of older copies that no one has ever looked into.

How many times can you reinvent a recipe? And how many stories can you think of? And yet everyone continues to want to share their story. Me too, by the way…

Even about topics that have been described countless times before. Still, I like to tell them again, with my own voice.

Ze voelen misschien wat ‘geleefd’, mijn verhalen, mijn blog. Ze bieden eerlijke, onpretentieuze kijkjes op het gewone leven. Soms zijn ze verrassend herkenbaar. Ze ontstaan spontaan als mijn oefening in mindful schrijven.

They are part of my memory book.

Mag ik je meenemen mijn gedachten en observaties?

Emma