World Book Day: We often read crime novels, especially Remigius Mirz

42 percent of people asked under Research The National Library responded “So.“To the question of whether they even reached a book last year. This is the best result in six years, which means an increase of 3% per year and 5% in two years.”For now, there are reasons for cautious optimism, however, that this is far from the level of indicators since the beginning of the 21st century.“- noted.

Read all or part of at least one book in the previous 12 months Research BN has been listening to the poles for almost 30 years. In the first half of the 21st century, more than half of respondents reported reading at least one book a year. The highest rate in the last 20 years was achieved in 2004 – then it was 58%. After 2008, the number of readers dropped by about 40%. In 2014, it was 41%, in 2015 – 37%, as in 2016. Over the next two years, the percentage of poles higher than anything in lower secondary school reading was 38%, and in 2019 it was 39%.

The authors of the study sought to answer the question of what the Poles studied and what the reading exams had to do with social status. It turns out that this is the most “democratic” type of literature that can be read regardless of one’s social status Literature Exciting and Criminal – The type of books most often selected by the poles. Remigius Mirus opens the list of the most widely read authors for the second year in a row, and for the fourth year he is in the top five. “It is currently the undisputed leader“- Emphasize the authors of the study.

What do the poles read?

Popular Literature Love, as well as man-made novels are a woman’s choice (30% of readers declare themselves to like them), adult fantasy (fiction, science fiction, etc.), in turn, are read twice as often by men, especially those aged 25-39.

The study distinguishes between two types “Very art literature“- Published before 1918. As expected, the classic is primarily read by students as part of school reading – 38% of such readers’ choices. Besides, it is used by older readers over the age of 70. Henrik Syankovich, who has been competing with contemporary bestsellers for many years, is slowly losing popularity. Was a frequently selected writer, he ranked fourth in 2019, and he dropped to sixth in the latest poll.

“Contemporary High Art Literature“, As the authors of the study describe it, especially the most recent, were normally represented in the Polish reading elections in 2020. The exception is Olga Dokorsuk, who, for the second time in a row, is the second most famous writer in Poland since the Nobel Prize in 1919. Poland. Another exception Szczepan Twardoch, ranked eighth this year, which may be affected by its adaptation “King”.

Non-fiction literature, especially autobiographies and memoirs, is the category of books most often read by men, including journalism and 20th century history. Teenage readers were not interested in reading about contemporary issues: no respondents aged 15–18 reached for travel books and reports, and twentieth-century narratives and autobiographies were partly in their reading choices. The latter, on the other hand – next to detective stories and adult fiction – are very interesting books for young people aged 25-39. Horror films, mainly Stephen King’s dozens of novels have not lost fans yet, and since 2018 he has been ranked third in the list of most popular writers in Poland.

“The 2020 study clearly captures the readership of the novel, which is set in historical scenes, especially during World War II, even in the case of concentration camps. The Last War was the subject of a very intense history, memoir and documentary that enjoyed the interest of the best readers. Publications on the genocide in Wolhine were known“- Researchers write that by 2020 the biographies of prominent women, reports on the lives of countries ruled by dictatorships, reports from extreme trips to the winter Himalayas, and memoirs of Michael Obama and Donald Duskin were popular. The BN report also captures the popularity of the scientist’s books. , Harari, who has touched on many fields of science and tried to answer questions about modern civilization, is ranked 23rd on the list of most famous writers, a great result of popular science books.

Men read a lot

As in previous years, women read more than men (51% and 33%, respectively), and the group of women who read the most seriously is large – 15% read at least 7 books a year. Of them (this percentage is 7% for men). The younger the respondent, the more likely he or she is to read books.

Having books at home is not a common occurrence and 31 percent of respondents have no books or school textbooks. Home book collections account for 64 percent. Respondents. More than half of the home book collections are up to about 50 volumes. Collections of relatively large books – over 500 volumes – are owned by a small percentage of respondents.

As with previous versions of the survey, readers and others were asked about the format of the books they exchanged, whether they were in the form of printed codes or digital files. Readers will definitely love the paper books. Books in electronic form were replaced by only 5 percent to read from a computer screen, reader, phone or tablet. People who read books.

As in previous years, respondents were asked about methods for obtaining the books they had read. In 2020, the Poles bought paper books to read first. “We note a statistically significant (4%) increase in the popularity of purchases compared to 2019, so even the temporary closure of bookstores due to the epidemic may be replaced by postal order purchases” – write the authors of the study. Libraries, as a source of books read, were ranked low in terms of popularity, with 14% of the books distributed. Readers. Although libraries were largely closed by 2020 due to the epidemic, there was a relatively small (4%) decrease in the percentage of people borrowing books from them.

Readers’ survey also showed the size of the group of digitally excluded poles. By 2020, one in four people aged 15 or older will not be using a computer, tablet or smartphone. Aside from the digital world, there were mainly the elderly (83% of the group over the age of 70), with the lowest level of education, retirees and retirees.