According to recent polling by the Publishers Association, a greater number of people are planning to escape into books rather than heading to the cinema this summer. The survey of over 2,200 adults across the UK found that reading came second to watching television as the best form of escapism on a bad day, with 33% of respondents opting for it over streaming services, social media, the radio, or a trip to the pub or cinema.
The poll also asked participants what they did with books that they had read, with results suggesting that the majority of people choose to keep, reuse or recycle them. Of those surveyed, 41% chose to keep books for themselves, while 34% passed them on to friends and family members. A further third said they gave their used books to charity organizations, while only 12% sold them online and 7% threw them out.
CEO of the Publishers Association, Dan Conway, commented that these survey results “not only show the importance of books to people’s mental health and wellbeing, but is a testament to their longevity and value.” Conway noted that books are an escape from everyday routines, and sharing them can make a significant difference to people’s lives without even realizing it.
The UK’s publishing industry is booming; last year saw record-breaking sales of £6.9bn, with 669m physical books sold, the highest level ever recorded. The industry also experienced an 8% increase in exports, with Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper graphic novel series emerging as the biggest book export of 2022.
The Publishers Association has launched its Insights Dashboard for publishers, where they can access trend data from the last six years.
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