Whether it concerns history books or psychology, young people almost only read in English, said bookseller Evelijn de Jong of Dominicanen in Maastricht a few weeks ago. de Volkskrant†
‘It makes me wary of the future of Dutch-language literature,’ she continued. ‘When we ask the girls in the bookshop why they don’t read Dutch, they answer that there are always so many problems in Dutch literature, characters who are in trouble with themselves. We don’t want to read that, they say. Life is hard enough already.’
What does this development mean for the book trade? A survey with a literary agent, a buyer, a bookseller and a publisher.
‘Let them read Harry Potter’
Willem Bisseling, literary agent at Sebes & Bisseling
Why do young people prefer to read English rather than Dutch?
‘For many young people, English is more or less their second mother tongue. English-language books are cheaper than the Dutch translations, for which the fixed book price applies. So why should they buy a $20 book when they can also buy a $10 book that they can read just as easily? They may miss things here and there in terms of content, but I think a lot of people miss a lot in Dutch-language literature too.’
Do young people have a point that Dutch literature is too much about problems?
‘You have the Dutch Calvinist literature, the Marieke Lucas Rijnevelds, which is indeed heavy and steeped in Christianity. In addition, Dutch literature has long been about the Second World War, which is less so now. But heavy subjects are also discussed in American and English literature. Rather, I see that the literary novel in general is having a hard time. Look at the top 100 best-selling books of last year, what’s in it for literature? Almost nothing. The top-3 was Lucinda Riley, Charlie Mackesy and Lale Gül.’
What needs to be done to get young people involved in Dutch literature?
‘It is especially important that literature education is adapted. Because that’s where it goes wrong. Just let young people have fun Harry Potter read and Game of Thrones† It doesn’t matter what. Now they still have to read Mulisch and Hermans at school. But what should 14-year-olds do with The attack† That spoils the fun in reading. That ties in with girls buying novels by #TikTok phenomenon Colleen Hoover and saying, You know, we’re buying such a lovely, upbeat English-language book. That’s much tastier than the chewy one Damokles’ darkroom†
Can the book trade itself also do something?
‘In the Netherlands the literary establishment is a bit coquettish, we only consider something to be literature if it is well thought out and difficult. But that’s not necessary at all. Dutch publishers must be more open to young voices and we must make more room for storytelling. Lale Gül is read by young people. The same goes for Mano Bouzamour. But their work is not seen as literature.
‘I think there is also a role for the media. If you look at commercial fiction and so-called women’s fictionwhich includes Colleen Hoover, are never discussed in our daily and weekly newspapers. The New York Times has separate bestseller lists for all kinds of genres. From romance to non-fiction. All genres are seriously discussed and reviewed there. That simply doesn’t happen in the Netherlands.’
Is there a market for it?
‘There is a huge market for commercial fiction and non-fiction. Those are the books that get high sales numbers. But it’s not highbrow. I once thought with a midwife Diary of a midwife† It is set in Deventer and they are funny, painful and intimate stories about births, written by Marlies Koers. 25 thousand of these have been sold.
‘In addition, I am turning 40 this year and I am still one of the youngsters in the profession. There needs to be some young blood in the book business. Everyone stays until they retire. At our agency we ensure that there are many young people around. They ensure that you stay awake and remain open to new voices.’
‘The challenge is to stay on top of it’
Jan Peter Prenger, buyer for Libris Blz. bookshops (including over 200 bookshops, ranging from the large Broese in Utrecht to the smaller Oonk in Twello)
Is Anglicization a worrying development for booksellers?
‘From a commercial perspective it is difficult. Simply because you get less return on English-language books than on Dutch-language and translated books. English language books have a lower retail price and they must be imported. That lowers the yield. Delivery is also more uncertain due to Brexit. In short: with Dutch books you earn more as a bookseller.
“There are people who are concerned about it. I don’t do that myself, because these kinds of developments have been going on for centuries. They’re fashions and you don’t have much influence over them. I think you miss a lot if you don’t read in your native language, but among young people, reading English is an ego thing. It is seen as tougher. So you better think about how you can respond to it.’
How do you respond to it then?
“We make sure that titles that are popular on social media – via #BookTok and #instabook – are easily available to bookstores. Colleen Hoover has been popular for two years now, but otherwise the titles that are hot and happening among young people are like day races: they are moving fast. The challenge for buyers is to stay on top of it so that bookstores can respond quickly to demand.’
Do young people have a point that Dutch literature is often about problems?
‘New. Do they mean Philip Huff or Marieke Lucas Rijneveld? I think they simply haven’t found the right book yet, because the range of beautiful Dutch literature is large and wide. My son is happy to have Ernest van der Kwasts Mama Tandoori read. Is that heavy on the hands? Under the skin perhaps, but certainly not in the language.
‘On the shortlist of the Libris Literature Prize are books that I would blindly give to any adolescent or twenty-something: Alexandra by Lisa Weeda about Ukraine, wonderfully written, you can’t get closer to the time right now. Willem who made Madoc by Nico Dros is also beautiful and shows that some urges and emotions are of all times. The atlas of everywhere van Deniz Kuypers recognizably gets into the head of a son who has a difficult relationship with his father.’
What else strikes you when it comes to young people and literature?
‘A few years ago, young people liked to read Das Mag authors such as Lize Spit, because of whom the image of being young and hip hung. These authors are now a few years older and they appeal less to today’s young people. Now there are other young authors of a younger generation, Tobi Lakmaker for example.
‘Last year there were also many debutants, although not all of them broke through. While there were a few exceptionally good debuts in between. Like eating stones by Koen Caris and Adoring Louis Claus by Valentijn Hoogenkamp.
‘Ultimately, I think reading is an all-time problem. Only a small percentage of young people enjoy reading. That was no different before. In fact, when I see how young people deal with books on social media and also at festivals such as Lowlands, I think: it’s not all that sad.’
‘As long as people buy books’
Daan van der Valk, bookseller at large at Athenaeum Boekhandels
You have just opened a new bookstore in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, which also focuses on English-language books in its range.
‘We are seeing more and more that it is important to have a good range of English available. The trend is that young people mostly read English. That language is so established that it doesn’t matter to them that it isn’t their native language, and English books are cheaper. I don’t think it’s a worrying development. As long as people keep buying books, whether they are Dutch or English.’
But you have to sell a lot more English books to make money on it.
‘That’s right. The margins are less, so you have to sell more of it. But for the time being this is happening: young people come to the bookstore in groups and leave with two or three books.’
Do young people have a point that they find Dutch literature too heavy?
‘Yes, I can understand that. Dutch literature often deals with problems and difficult relationships. A book like what you know about blood by Philip Huff for example† I read a lot of Dutch literature, such as God in Japan by Willem Melchior or The light at the end of the loop by Martin Michael Driessen, but I also ignore that heavy hassle myself.
‘In addition, the range of English literature is of course larger, so it is easier to find something that suits you. Dutch-language literature is only a small area if you compare it with the Anglo-Saxon range.’
‘I believe in the snowball effect’
Maaike le Noble, general manager of publishing house Meulenhoff Boekerij
Are you hesitant about the English reading development among young people?
‘Of course, a little. We’re following it closely. But I don’t think we can exert an incredible amount of influence over it. So I like to see the positive in it: that young people in any case read. Awesome! They influence each other, recommend titles to each other via #BookTok. I believe in the snowball effect: people who read get others to read with their enthusiasm.’
How can publishers entice young people to read books in Dutch?
‘By publishing Dutch editions in such a beautiful and attractive way that it makes you greedy. We’ve seen it at The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue from VE Schwab, a book popular on #BookTok. The English version has sold well, but so has our Dutch edition: we have now sold ten thousand copies. We have heard from booksellers that young people like the Dutch edition so much that they therefore ignore the English, cheaper version.
‘What we also regularly hear is that young people read our books as e-books, but then become so addicted to a series that they still buy the paper edition to be able to put it on their bookshelves. We hear that about the youngadult series, for example Elfhame and faerie by the American author Holly Black, which is indeed brilliantly published, beautifully bound with gold-printed type.’
Is Dutch literature too much about problems?
‘Dutch literature is no more or less about problems than the rest of world literature. But the reading lists at school often do. Let young people decide for themselves what they want to read.’
You publish a wide range of books. From Corina Bomann and Charlotte de Monchy to Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah. Why?
‘We notice that many readers don’t think in terms of categories at all as we tend to do in the book trade. Many readers jump back and forth between genres. We see people reading a feel-good book by Charlotte de Monchy one week and a thriller by Stephen King the next. Or Stephen King one week and Nobel laureate Gurnah the next. That’s how we publish. Ultimately, what matters to us is that people read and enjoy books.’