Interest in Homer’s Odyssey surges after Nolan film, with English editions in highest demand

Since the theatrical release of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" in July, interest in reading the original has increased.

At the libraries in Malmö, in principle all editions - Swedish and English - are on loan, from complete translations to children's editions.

Librarian Mats Nordström sees patterns in the lending statistics.

It's interesting that the full English edition has ten reservations right now. That's more than the regular Swedish editions have. I don't know if it's because our visitors prefer to read in English or if it's because the title of the film hasn't been translated into Swedish.

The pattern is repeated in several cities, including Gothenburg and Umeå.

We see that lending has increased significantly. This is usually the case when films based on books are shown, which is very fun, writes Ragnhild Erséus, librarian at Gothenburg City Library.

At Holmsund Library in Umeå, Stephen Fry's newly published adaptation of "The Odyssey" is particularly popular. It is also sold out at Albert Bonnier's publishing house. Publisher Emma Bonnier also believes that the film may have contributed to the increased interest.

Natur & Kultur writes that the publisher's new edition in Ingvar Björkeson's translation is currently completely sold out and that a new order has been placed.