I would probably have processed my childhood trauma myself if we hadn't ended up in the middle of a major literacy crisis debate, says Dick Harrison.
He has published more than 120 books, with several new ones coming this autumn, but this is the first time he has written an autobiography. “Forbidden to Read” depicts a violent upbringing in 1970s Staffanstorp, where book-loving Dick Harrison’s parents believed he would be “read off.” An idea that excessive reading could lead to a madhouse. The belief was common in the mid-20th century and was passed down in Harrison’s family.
"The book is about my generation. We who come from the working class and lower middle class and were told that reading makes you stupid," says Dick Harrison.
Ignorance as the norm
Today’s society is the polar opposite of Harrison’s upbringing: now adults warn about the negative effects of mobile phones and social media - and are desperately trying to lure young people back to reading.
According to Harrison, Swedish schools have yielded to the TikTok-damaged concentration spans of students with shorter texts, and teaching has rationalized away handwriting with pseudoscientific arguments about “underdeveloped motor skills.” Universities are simultaneously tiptoeing to avoid using facts that could “offend” students.
They have elevated ignorance and incompetence to a norm, says Harrison.
He refers to statistics that say that every fourth 15-year-old in Sweden lacks basic reading comprehension.
I want our elected officials to take to heart the message that we are about to have a generation of illiterate people who cannot participate in democracy. We live in a world where there are more dictatorships and their number is increasing with each passing year. To disarm literacy in this situation is complete madness.
Gave himself a book for Christmas
Harrison’s parental home was another form of dictatorship, where the adults had a “monopoly on truth.” The father ruled family life completely, with no room for the children’s opinions.
Harrison began by reading the Bible, in the absence of other literature at home. “Forbidden to Read” recounts how he saved for a year for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which he wrapped up and gave to himself as a secret Christmas present.
For once, I wanted to get a substantial book that I’d been longing for as a Christmas present, and so I wrapped it up. It’s still the best Christmas present I’ve ever received, says Dick Harrison.
Born April 10, 1966 (age 60).
Occupation: Historian, author and professor at Lund University. Former presenter of TV4’s "Sveriges historia", competed in "På spåret".
Known works: "The Great Death" (winner of the August Prize 2000), "The Earl’s Century" (2002), editor and co-author of the work "The History of Sweden", and the novel series "The Year of the Lord".
Current with: "Forbidden to read - My educational journey and the fight against stupidity" which will be published at the end of August. Also "The House of Habsburg - the dynasty that shaped Europe" August 20, "Gladiators" September 24, "The Year of the Lord 1404" autumn 2026 and "The East India Companies" autumn 2026.
