On behalf of the Literature Alliance, I thank the Chairman and members for the opportunity to come before them. We will address two main issues with regard to literature in Ireland, namely, promoting and supporting Irish writers and promoting reading among members of the general public, especially children. We were delighted that we were asked to focus on these two key issues. The committee has shown that, like us, it understands that writing and reading are two sides of the same coin.
The Literature Alliance was formed in 2009 in order that our seven key literature organisations could work together. The seven organisations in the alliance — Children's Books Ireland, the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency, the Ireland Literature Exchange, Poetry Ireland, Publishing Ireland, the Munster Literature Centre and the Irish Writers Centre — are wholeheartedly committed to the support of writers and readers here. We believe passionately that all writers – not just those who have achieved success but also emerging and mid-career writers — deserve support. It is important also to note that when we refer to writers, we mean writers who work in a range of genres, including poets, children's authors, illustrators, prose writers, and those engaged in translation and writing non-fiction and short stories. We are concerned with those who write in Irish and in English.
As the Vice Chairman pointed out, literature is a central part of the arts in Ireland and lies at the heart of our society. It remains our most globally recognised art form and contemporary writers contribute to an ever-growing literary pedigree for which Ireland is internationally renowned. Dublin is on the cusp of receiving designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, as a city of literature. This permanent designation, which would be the most significant development for literature in Ireland in the past decade, is held by only three other cities in the world. We understand from UNESCO that the designation is imminent. We also understand that the application has been well received. We await an announcement with bated breath.
We are fortunate that successive Governments have invested in the arts and literature. Through agencies such as the Arts Council, Culture Ireland and Foras na Gaeilge, and organisations such as those we represent, we have nurtured the creative and literary life of the country. Many opportunities have been created to allow artists and audiences to connect with, converse about and confront the realities of Ireland.
The investment to which I refer has paid rich dividends. Much like gardeners who plant seeds and tend them well, literature has become a global giant in the context of Ireland's artistic success. Much like other art forms, it has brought great confidence and wonderful accolades to the country. I am glad the Vice Chairman recognised economics as being central to what we wish to discuss today because investment in arts and literature is money well spent. Some €192 million in turnover was generated, with Arts Council support, last year. If we agree that €54 million of this returns directly to the Exchequer, then the net spend is €22 million.
During the past 18 months, there has been a remarkable discussion with regard to the role of arts and culture in Ireland. Farmleigh, the Indecon report on the economic impact of the arts in Ireland and numerous other developments have foregrounded the arts and culture as the brightest lights that we currently possess. However, when one shine's a light, one sees dark corners — one identifies areas which require support and others which are under-resourced. We would like to remind people of some of the realities of living and working in Ireland as an artist or as a writer.
I am sure members have long-since got past the cliché of the writer working in the lonely garret using only a pen to create. A writer needs much more than that. He or she requires a comfortable workspace, a computer, access to books and research materials and, most importantly, he or she needs time to write, research, think and develop.
I wish to return to the question of economics. It is unusual for those of us in the arts to discuss economics to such a degree but this is a language about which we have learned a great deal in the past 18 months. It is a language of which we have always been aware. It has become an important and vital part of our work to analyse what is happening in the arts and literature. A huge level of research has been carried out in recent months and this provides undeniable evidence with regard to the economic stories relating to literature and the arts.
Ireland's consumer market is so small that State support for literature is absolutely vital. In the context of scale, if one sells between 1,500 and 2,000 books, one will merit a place in the top 1,000 books sold in a given year. Selling over 30,000 will get one into the top ten of Irish book sales. Irish-published books account for about 15% of the market here and Irish publishers face stiff competition from their counterparts abroad.
The importance of maintaining an indigenous publishing industry cannot be overstated. From our own work with children, the cliché of lashings and lashings of ginger beer does not ring true for Irish readers. They want to know what is happening. We have had great success this year with a writer who has been writing about Croke Park. Little Croker has been one of the best selling Irish children’s books this year because Irish children and readers are hungry for books by Irish writers brought to them by an Irish editor. An infrastructure of publishers responds to readers' needs, whether they are adults or children; equally important, Irish publishers often bring writers to the public’s attention. Many of our greatest writers were first recognised by our own publishers. This is an essential first step which often culminates in an international profile.
We are lucky this year that research has been conducted by the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency which provides a clear picture of writers' incomes, an issue to which Ms Holman will refer. Writers may not be the most forthcoming with information on their incomes, royalties and sales, but we now have a clear picture of what is going on. More than 58% of Irish authors earn less than €5,000 a year from writing. Six out of ten writers, therefore, earn less than €5,000, while 25% of those who responded to the survey earned less than €500 a year. Only 10% of authors earned more than €30,000, the average manufacturing wage. Almost two thirds of writers have a full-time job.
Of equal concern to us in the alliance is the ageing profile of writers which needs further attention. One third of published authors are aged 60 years. While we appreciated the opportunity to celebrate milestones in the lives of many Irish writers this year, it is worrying that only 1% are aged between 21 and 30 years.
Irish writers are in an ongoing conversation with world literature. They have access to much of world writing through translation and create a complete cultural dialogue. It is important that the writing of Ireland is brought to readers around the world in their own languages. This is done through the provision of translation grants for international publishers, as well as subsidising the participation of Irish writers in international events and festivals. Ms Mac Aodha will speak more about the international aspect, but it is important to remember that for many, their first encounter with Ireland happens on the pages of a book. One of my favourite stories in recent years concerns when a former Taoiseach visited China; he was greeted by the Chinese Premier with the words, "I have read your Yeats." I do not suppose there are many other cultural figures who could have reached China in such an important away.
Gross value added, GVA, the indicator used in the Indecon report, showed us something important. The GVA of literature is six times the level of other sectors such as film and video, arts facilities and venues, libraries and museums. In direct contrast, Ireland's spend on literature through agencies for the support of the arts, including the Arts Council, is small in proportion to that on other art forms. For example, 4% of the council's budget went on literature, 28% on theatre, 8% on music and 6% on opera. We acknowledge other funds received from the council, particularly in the form of bursaries to writers, to support writing, but we consider 4% core funding is a figure that does not recognise the central role literature plays in Irish society.
Ireland has a reasonably strong reading culture. Approximately 64% of adults read a book for pleasure in the past 12 months. There are more than 14 million visits to Irish public libraries each year and the number of literary events such as the Dublin Book Festival, Cúirt in Galway, the West Cork Literary Festival, as well as emerging literary festivals such as the Dalkey Book Festival and Drumshanbo Written Word Weekend, is increasing. The inclusion of literary elements as part of other festivals is also increasing, for example, Electric Picnic, the Galway Arts Festival, the Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Flat Lake Festival in Monaghan. This proliferation of opportunities demonstrates a real hunger in the Irish audience to engage with Irish and International writers. Many of the festivals this year have had their highest attendance in decades.
It is worrying that there is still significant research which shows that some sections of the population, both adults and children, are excluded from the activity of reading for pleasure. While two thirds of Irish adults read a book for pleasure in the past 12 months, the figure is nearer three quarters in the United Kingdom. Ireland's 352 branch libraries offer an invaluable service, but pressure on resources as a result of reduced funding has meant several branch libraries have reduced opening hours. In many instances, funds to purchase books and periodicals have been withdrawn and the resources necessary to connect with communities and ensure hard to reach groups avail of library services have been severely curtailed.
Ballybane library in Galway is a frequent stop-off for Children's Books Ireland. To reach the community in that area, librarians spent six months before the library was built out and about meeting people. Leaning over walls became part of the job description for several librarians. As they connected with the people they met, it paid dividends. Most of the community use the library and recognise it as a key resource.
The committee has always mentioned children who are a vital focus in the promotion of reading. Many alliance members are directly involved in the provision of initiatives and events to encourage reading among children. These include both the writers in schools and the writers in libraries schemes, the annual Children's Book Festival and the establishment of Laureate na nÓg. We are delighted Ms Parkinson was able to accompany us. Laureate na nÓg is a newly established honour to recognise the role and importance of children's writers and authors in Irish cultural life. Ms Parkinson is the first holder of the role and will remain in her position until 2012 when a new writer will be inaugurated.
The alliance believes the single biggest issue concerning children and reading is that of school libraries. Alas, we lag far behind our European colleagues in the provision of dedicated library services. In 2009 the primary school library budget was withdrawn. Until 2009, the Department of Education and Skills had made €2.1 million available to the public library service which matched this funding and provided a school library service for all primary schools. Withdrawing this grant means primary schools have no access to dedicated book or library funding. The school library service at primary level is the key building block in developing a reading culture among young people. Intervention at school age with literature and a positive experience of books is the single most important factor in creating a reading public. It is also important to note that the withdrawal of this funding has a knock-on effect on writers and publishers. School library purchases are an important market for Irish publishers and the disappearance of this market, coupled with the reduction of other sources of funding such as grants, has meant that they have postponed publishing several new writers in the past 12 months. This is doubly concerning when matched with the statistic for the ageing profile of our writers.
At second level the situation is equally critical. Recently the Minister for Education and Skills intervened to retain 22 school librarians who were part of the ground-breaking junior certificate demonstration library project. This initiative has had unprecedented success in creating a reading culture in a small number of second level schools and we are grateful for the Minister's intervention. We are also grateful to members of the committee who publicly called for the retention of these vital posts. However, to put the matter in context, the initiative is available in only about 30 schools nationwide and 92 out of every 100 second level students do not have access to an adequate school library. More than 90% of students aged between 12 and 18 years do not have access to the one thing research has shown time and again that will help them to engage with reading and books.
Several measures help writers, notably the artist tax exemption. The creative industries have welcomed the capping and retention of the exemption, especially as it only applies to royalty income, which is low. It is the time to nurture our creative and literary talents. Despite the pressure on State resources, cuts in funding for the arts and literature will leave deep wounds in our society. By any measure – economic, social or educational — investment in the arts and culture is the smartest use of State funds that we can identify.
Literature is at the very core of Ireland. We stand strong in the knowledge that we cannot rely solely on our literary heritage and that this is the time to nurture new generations, bring forward new Heaneys and recognise the strength of our writers such as Derek Landy and Eoin Colfer. To continue to build on these outstanding achievements, our new and emerging writers need to be provided with the resources they need to follow through in their writing careers. Ireland's literary heritage has become one of its most important international calling cards for business and cultural tourism and in bringing our reputation to an international audience. We ask that investment in literature be protected and the role literature plays internationally be recognised with a support network that is coherent, comprehensive and will provide the various supports writers need in different ways.
Reading is important to children and education. We recognise that children are not just mini-adults whose role is not just to become adult readers but that they deserve access to books and literature in a way that will engage them throughout their childhood. After all, reading is an activity at the centre of many childhoods. I am sure those members of the committee who were readers in their own childhood remember how important it was. It is also important to remember that if one does not gain access as a child, those moments are taken and one never gets them back.
We in the Literature Alliance recognise it is time for a careful tending of our generations of writers and readers to allow us to capitalise on our literature, our single biggest national asset. We ask the committee to work with us to ensure it is protected, celebrated and supported. We thank members for their time.
