Democracy will be the main theme at the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2027. The theme is being organized in collaboration with Natur & Kultur, the Teachers’ Foundation, and the Voksenåsen Cultural Center. For Voksenåsen, this partnership represents an important opportunity to contribute Nordic perspectives on democracy, education, culture, and youth participation at one of the Nordic region’s largest cultural gathering places.
“We are proud to be part of the Book Fair’s important theme of democracy in 2027, together with the Book Fair, Natur & Kultur, the Teachers’ Foundation, and our other partners. For Voksenåsen, this is a natural step in our work to create spaces where people, countries, generations, and perspectives can come together,” says Maria af Klinteberg Herresthal, CEO of Voksenåsen.
The Book Fair’s theme of democracy takes its cue from a time when AI-driven disinformation, authoritarian movements, shifts in geopolitical power, and declining trust in society are challenging democratic discourse. During the fair, authors, researchers, journalists, teachers, experts, activists, policymakers, and visitors will come together to discuss issues related to democracy, freedom of expression, participation, literature, knowledge, and society.
– For Voksenåsen, it will be particularly important to highlight issues related to democratic literacy among children and young people, historical knowledge, Nordic cooperation, and the connection between culture, education, and social resilience. “The 2027 Book Fair provides us with a powerful platform to bring together experiences from our established programs, such as Hågkomstresor, the Voksenåsen Music Academies, and the Nordic Youth Conference for Democracy: cross-border encounters, learning through culture and history, and opportunities for young people to articulate their own questions, experiences, and visions for the future,” says Anna Florén, program director at the Voksenåsen Cultural Center.
As a Norwegian-Swedish meeting place and Norway’s national gift to Sweden, Voksenåsen aims to help ensure that the theme of democracy has a clear Nordic foundation, while also opening the conversation to international experiences and perspectives. The goal is to create programs and partnerships that not only address the challenges facing democracy but also strengthen the democratic skills needed for the future: reading, language, critical thinking, historical understanding, accountability, and the ability to engage with one another despite differences of opinion.
Voksenåsen looks forward to developing its collaboration with the Book Fair, Natur & Kultur, the Teachers’ Foundation, and other relevant actors in the fields of culture, education, research, civil society, the public sector, and the media. Together, the partners aim to create a broad and timely theme centered on democracy, with a special focus on the next generation.
