This year's Nordic Library Week begins on 14 November and marks a special anniversary. Being held for the 15th time, its theme for 2011 is 'Humour in the Nordic Countries'. Readings, book presentations and a range of other events will take place in libraries, schools and community and cultural centres in the Nordic countries and Baltic States throughout the week.

As has become tradition, the week will start with a Monday morning reading. This year's event can also be considered something of a record-breaker, since the same pieces of writing will be read aloud in more than two thousand places simultaneously. Nordic literature will light up the dark November morning, with the texts being read everywhere in the local languages.

As the heading above indicates, this year's Nordic Library Week is dedicated to humour. This comes in many forms: political, satirical, educational, derisive... something for everyone! Helping readers discover the many facets of Nordic humour will be Danish author Jakob Martin Strid and Finnish author Mikael Niemi.

The organisers – the Union of Norden Associations – have selected Niemi's Populärmusik från Vittula ('Pop Music a la Vittula', 2000) and excerpts from the Germanic epic Beowulf (ca 700 AD) for younger readers and adults.

Niemi (born in 1959) has seen Populärmusik från Vittula – his most famous work – translated into many languages. His writing is characterised by magic, humour and clever commentary.

The old tradition of storytelling awakened again on Monday, the 9th of November 2009. It will be the 13^th annual Nordic Library Week and Estonian libraries were most welcome to join the event.

The theme was "War and peace in the Nordic countries". According to the organisers it is important to remember the wars and conflicts that have shaken the Nordic countries in order to understand and appreciate the peace and close cooperation both in politics and business that we have today. War and peace unravelled in the works of Johan Ludvig Runeberg (Finland), Benny Andersen (Denmark), Astrid Lindgren and Gunilla Bergström (Sweden).

Libraries, schools and other meeting places in the Nordic and Baltic countries looked forward to meeting thousands of people at the storytelling. On Monday morning pupils gathered for Morning Twilight - an event where they can listen to fragments from Nordic children's and youth books. This is a special ceremony; the electric lights are switched off, the candles are lit and the same literal text is read out loud, at the same moment in all of the more than 2000 participating libraries throughout the Nordic region.

The world of Nordic fantasy literature is home to trolls (of both the Moomin and goblin variety), witches and elves and faeries -- many unworldly creatures with a distinctively Nordic nature and appearance, who inhabit forests, caves, rocks, stumps, trees and cliffs.

This year, the organizers have selected readings from the following authors: Andri Snær Magnason (Iceland), John Ajvide Lindquist (Sweden) and Lene Kaaberbøl (Denmark).

Books. Photo: Ane Cecilie Blichfeldt/norden.org Estonians have always considered themselves a nation of readers and taken pride in the abundance of books in their homes. Yet surveys indicate that the habit of reading is steadily decreasing in Estonia, which is also confirmed by sales numbers. Regrettably, poor skills of self-expression, linguistic laxity and incorrect language use are phenomena that we are increasingly coming across. Are we really dealing with poor literacy or even illiteracy? Even maths teachers are complaining that pupils are not able to solve more complicated text tasks because they cannot read or understand the text.

Reading and writing are not just individual skills. They are increasingly linked to social abilities in society. How to help re-discover that truth, to guide new readers to literature and to encourage them to read and write were topics discussed in the Cupola Hall of the National Library of Estonia on 27 May by Jonathan Douglas from the British National Literacy Trust, who was the head organiser of the British Year of Reading 2008.

Nordic Library Week is a project full of lectures, story-telling, debates and cultural activities both in schools and libraries. Approximately 2600 Nordic and Baltic organisations and/or institutions attended the event in 2007.

It has become a tradition to hold the first reading in candlelight at the same time everywhere – at 9 am at dawn and at 19 at dusk.

Autumn and winter nights are especially short in Estonia and the Nordic countries. A long time before the era of television and Internet there was a tradition of storytelling on these long and dark winter nights. The Nordic libraries and Norden associations have arranged the Nordic Library Weeks in the darkest period of the year since 1997. It means seven days full of exhibitions, storytelling, book introductions and debates in libraries, schools and other organisations in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

As always, Estonian libraries, schools and community centres are participating in this joint Nordic and Baltic project. A new feature this year is that participants can register via the website of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia. After registration, all participants will be mailed a free Library Week information packet. We will start sending out the materials in September.

The last day for registration (in Estonian) is Friday, 5 November 2010.

The theme of the Nordic Library Week 2008 is “Kärlek till Norden” / “Love for the Nordic countries”. In Estonia some 20 libraries in various parts of the country are participating in the event. The theme is about the relationship between the Nordic inhabitants and the countries and nature they live in. The texts chosen for children are among others by the Icelandic author Guðrún Helgadóttir. The text for adults is written especially for the occasion by the famous Finnish author Eeva Kilpi.