A total of 842 books are registered in the annual Bókatíðindi, an overview of new publications released last weekend, which is a new record. Registered titles are up from 757 last year and from 466 in 2002—they have increased by 376 in one decade.

Never before have as many Icelandic books of fiction been released as this year, a total of 101, 57 new releases and 44 books that are being republished. If poems and plays are added to that number, it grows to 138, Fréttablaðið reports.

Kristján B. Jónasson, chairman of the Association of Book Publishers, pointed out that the total number of books is similar as in 2011 but the difference lies in more books being published in more than one format, not just on paper but also as audio or eBooks.

“Bókatíðindi reflects that book publishing is shifting towards the same development as in our neighboring countries, that publishers must release books in many formats,” Kristján commented. This year, 94 eBooks and 50 audio books are registered.

“In the past years a slow change has occurred in the publishing pattern,” he added. “Book sale is not mainly tied to the Christmas book flood but books are sold throughout the year.”

Books are traditional Christmas presents in Iceland.

ESA