Anandi Mishra's Reading Journey from Delhi to Gothenburg

Writer Anandi Mishra compares her reading experiences in Delhi and Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2025, she read over 75 books in Sweden, a significant increase from her typical 20 in India. Gothenburg University reported in April 2025 that record numbers of Swedes read or listened to books in 2024. Mishra found Gothenburg's abundance of bookstores, including chains, independents, and secondhand shops like Mariaplans Antikvariat and Läs is More, provided greater access to European, American, and British titles. The Stadsbibliotek in Götaplatsen, with its extensive English collection, became a pivotal resource. In contrast, Delhi has seen closures of independent bookstores like Café Turtle in Khan Market and Kunzum in Vasant Vihar, with chains like Crossword reducing physical spaces post-COVID. Indian public libraries suffer from funding shortages. Mishra's reading in Gothenburg was facilitated by public transport commuters often seen with books, inspiring her to explore authors like Chris Kraus, Vigdis Hjorth, Isabella Hammad, Georges Perec, Katherine Angel, and Scandinavian literary figures such as Knut Hamsun, Solvej Balle, Helle Helle, Olga Ravn, and Karl Ove Knausgård. She also read works by W.G. Sebald, Geoff Dyer, Teju Cole, and Indian authors in translation. The article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of ArtReview Asia.