The Association of Icelandic Book Publishers have issued checks worth ISK 120 million (USD 1.6 million, EUR 1.0 million) and sent them to homes in Iceland this week to encourage people to read more books.
This is the third year that the association sends out checks in this way during the “Week of the Book.” The initative is called “National Gift” and is a cooperation with book agents in Iceland, Fréttabladid reports.
“This is our answer to the depression. If you need money to buy a book you can have as many checks printed as you like,” said chairman of the Association of Icelandic Book Publishers Kristján B. Jónasson. “Book publishers are making sure that Icelanders have unlimited funds for purchasing books for two weeks.”
Jónasson dismissed the notion that their checks were just coupons. “This is part of the association’s three-year plan to bring more attention to books and encourage reading in all seasons.”
“Checks worth ISK 1,000 [USD 14, EUR 9] are distributed to the public who can use them to buy books published in Iceland for at least ISK 3,000 [USD 41, EUR 26]. The buyer contributes with ISK 2,000 [USD 27, EUR 17] and gets ISK 1,000 as a gift,” Jónasson explained.
“People can then buy books for ISK 6,000 [USD 82, EUR 52] and get ISK 2,000 as a gift, for ISK 9,000 [USD 122, EUR 78] and get ISK 3,000 as a gift and so on,” Jónasson said.
