On the social media app Tiktok, clips with reading tips and reading experiences are shared under the hashtag #booktok. Since going viral in March 2020, Booktok has garnered over 190 billion views. The number of Swedish booktokers is also increasing, and libraries and bookstores have created special booktok shelves to meet the demand.

17-year-old Isabella Reinhold Carlsson from Stockholm started her booktok account @bellalovesbooks0 a year ago and quickly gained a lot of followers.

"The idea was to find like-minded people and share my life. Some people don't want to show outwardly that they read, it can still be seen as corny. So I think it's nice that people at least dare to do it on Tiktok, where we're like a family," she says.

Getting more young people to read

It has long been reported that young people are reading less and less, but according to the Swedish Media Council's report from this year, the downward trend has reversed or at least stopped. The SOM Institute's latest survey also indicates that young people's reading has increased in the past year and believes that #booktok may be part of the explanation.

Isabella Reinhold Carlsson also believes that Booktok has inspired many young people.

"I get a lot of nice comments and private messages where people say that I get them to read more, so I think booktok has a big impact on young people's reading motivation.

Source of inspiration

For her, booktok is a source of book recommendations and inspiration. For example, there are challenges that encourage reading, such as reading 100 pages a day," she says.

"I think it's become more desirable to be the one who reads in your spare time, instead of scrolling on your phone, it's getting stale," says Isabelle Reinhold Carlsson and continues:

"Tiktok is not only bad, but I understand that the image exists that it's '10 second clips of nonsense'. But Booktok is a completely different thing, here you try to show what you like to read and scroll to get tips.

Watch the Culture News Special: Then read for fuck's sake! on SVT play.