(Image: Pixabay)
‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me’ – although this quote is attributed to author C.S Lewis who published his last novel in 1956, it seems as though it is no less true today.
In 2022, the UK’s book market experienced an unprecedented boom, with over 669 million physical books sold, according to a Publishing Association report. 2023 brought a 2.6 percent drop in sales, but the industry still raked in a staggering £1.83 billion per annum.
The generation fuelling many of these sales might surprise you. People aged between 13 to 24 overwhelmingly contributed to 2022’s record-breaking year, counting for 80 percent of purchases, research from Nielsen BookData found.
(Image: Pixabay)
It appears that Gen Z and later millennials – who have often been described as ‘digital natives’ – play a major role in this increased popularity for print.
Growing up so heavily influenced by the internet and social media could be one reason the younger generations have fallen back in love with reading – but are there any other factors that make flipping through the pages of a book attractive to so many?
‘We see such a lot of positivity and joy in our bookshop’
Gill Edwards, owner of The Little Ripon Bookshop, thinks that reading trends have shown a marked change since the Covid-19 pandemic.
She explained:
“We spent months delivering books to people in Ripon and beyond who were isolating, and I think they were very thankful for this service and have since become loyal customers.
“I also think that many people picked up a reading habit during lockdown which has continued and they have turned to books rather than screens because so much of life is now screen based and reading an actual book is a welcome change.”
The independent bookshop offered Zoom book clubs when restrictions were first put in place that still run to this day, alongside their face-to-face meetings which are described as ‘thriving and full’.
With The Little Ripon Bookshop’s 15-year anniversary approaching in July, Gill has many years of experience in the industry to reflect upon.
The Little Ripon Bookshop
She believes that a preference for physical books endures because customers like to be able to browse the shelves, read the first page and even see the typeface, discovering what appeals to them.
She added:
“This is particularly important for children, and we work hard to make sure that the young people of Ripon have somewhere to find their next favourite author.
“There’s been a lot of media noise about the decline of the high street, but we see such a lot of positivity and joy in our bookshop.
“New customers seem thrilled to find us, and visitors to Ripon often say they are delighted to find an independent bookshop.”
A new chapter for independent bookshops in Yorkshire
The region has enjoyed something of a boom of independent bookshops of late, reflective of the wider UK trend in which the industry has seen year-on-year growth since 2017.
Last year, four Yorkshire bookshops were shortlisted for Independent Bookshop of the Year – Imagined Things in Harrogate, Halifax’s The Book Corner, Kemp’s General Store & Bookshop in Malton, and Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth.
It appears that the indie market shows little signs of slowing; earlier this week, the Stray Ferret reported that Paper People Books will soon be opening in Pateley Bridge.
Kerry Thorpe, owner of Paper People Books
Commenting on the launch, owner Kerry Thorpe said:
“Reading should be fun, not a chore and we want people to feel happy and spread a bit of joy when coming into the shop.
“We feel everyone needs a book in their lives, we are all so busy and sometimes it’s just great to switch off, read a book and really escape.”
The next generation of book-lovers
If this emerging trend of favouring physical books continues to grow or if another technological innovation finally usurps print, remains to be seen in the habits of consumers.
Generation Alpha encompasses those born between 2010 and 2024 – perhaps they’ll be the next generation of book lovers, and will continue to fuel the thriving independent bookshop scene across Yorkshire and beyond.
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