"The decline of reading is a greater challenge to our industry than AI could ever be," said Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan, at the London Book Fair Wednesday morning. 

Prior took the stage to discuss the reading crisis, which she characterized as an existential threat to the publishing industry, one far greater than generative AI. She noted that in the U.K., only 1 in 3 children enjoy reading in their free time, and half of all adults have stopped reading. Daily reading to children ages 0-5 has dropped 25% since 2019, and even Oxford students, who once read three books per week, are now struggling "to finish one book in three weeks." Prior quoted journalist James Marriott, who said the country is "witnessing the birth of the first post-literate generation." 

She emphasized that this not about a lack of intellect. Rather, it is a sign of a "neurological shift" caused by children being raised on short-form algorithms "designed to dismantle the capacity for sustained attention." A generation has been "rewired for the scroll over the page," and with that loss of literacy and inability to pay attention, Prior asserted, "critical thinking is the first casualty." It becomes especially dire given the "global surge of book bans" and other efforts to "narrow the mind."

Joanna Prior

"And the uncomfortable truth is that while we obsess over the machine's ability to write, we're ignoring the audience's fading ability to read," Prior said. "We've spent too much time fearing the artificial author, but we've overlooked the disappearing reader."

Prior stressed that although too much emphasis has been placed on whether "a machine might one day write a Booker Prize winner," the industry's commitment to "protecting our authors and illustrators is non-negotiable." She applauded the lobbying efforts of the Publishers Association, but pointed out that "protecting our IP won't matter if we lose the readers we're protecting it for."

Publishers can no longer expect today's readers to "meet us on our terms," she said. Publishers must make the book "as accessible, as urgent, and as socially relevant as the notification."

Prior highlighted a few recent releases, such as Gisèle Pelicot's A Hymn to Life and Sarah Wynn-Williams's Careless People, as evidence that books still have the power to be the "ultimate driver of conversation." And the boom in the romantasy genre shows that books can still capture the popular imagination as well as any "high-budget streaming series."

Much more work needs to be done on the accessibility front. Publishers can leverage technology, including AI, to lower barriers to entry for readers and, Prior said, the industry should press the government to treat books as "essential infrastructure." And like essential infrastructure, books have to reach everyone, across every age group and socioeconomic category. 

"Imagine if we were in the business of supplying clean water, but our pipes only reached the most affluent postcodes in London," Prior said. "We wouldn't call that a successful utility. We'd call it a public health crisis."

There have been some positive signs, Prior noted, such as the U.K. government committing last fall to putting a library in every primary school. That, however, is not an end goal but a "non-negotiable first step." The industry needs to hold the government to that promise while also considering what can be done for secondary schools and early childhood.

Touching on the ongoing National Year of Reading, Prior said a single year's effort won't solve a "generation of systemic decline," but it can prove to be a "meaningful and high impact" start for long-term efforts. She encouraged publishers to work to a "10-year horizon" and aim to create a "sustained, inclusive reading culture by 2035."

Prior also advised the industry to publish "with wide arms and without judgment." Children and adults should be encouraged to read wherever their interests take them. 

"Our job isn't to curate their tastes to match our own," Prior said. It is to "fuel the engine of their curiosity" with "whatever they happen to choose." --Alex Mutter

Published, a bookstore and bar, had its soft opening earlier this week at 47 Green St. in Huntington, N.Y., with plans for a grand opening celebration soon, Greater Long Island reported. Published will sell general-interest titles for all ages, along with serving beer, wine, cocktails, and a variety of nonalcoholic options.

Co-owner Angela Jurow will share the property with Mighty Fine eatery and pie bar, an all-day café "that recently debuted a Huntington pop-up ahead of its permanent move into the subdivided site," GLI noted. Published will also sell prepackaged food items from Mighty Fine.

"Step inside the former bar and late-night dance spot and you'll now find a cozy bookstore filled with hundreds of titles," GLI wrote. "Off to the left is a bar that will serve beer, wine, signature cocktails, coffee drinks and tea--all designed to pair with your latest read."

"We want this to be a space where people can feel comfortable," Jurow said. "Parents can come meet up and kids can look through books." She and her husband, Brett Jurow, have reimagined the space into a book lover's retreat, with areas for book clubs, author visits, and workshops. The back of the store features an extensive children's section. "The possibilities are endless," she said.

Last month, GLI reported that the Jurows were inspired to open a bookstore and bar after visiting Rough Draft Bar & Books on a family trip to Kingston, N.Y. They found Rough Draft, which opened in 2017, to be "sweet and dreamy."

Forage Books opened on Valentine's Day at 121 West State St. in Kennett Square, Pa. Chadds Ford Live reported that for founder and owner Tamlyn Ancone, Forage Books is "a space she has envisioned as welcoming, intentional, and deeply connected to the local community."

A graduate of Hofstra University, she previously lived in Philadelphia with her husband. After the pandemic, the couple moved closer to Unionville, his hometown, "and in that transition, Tamlyn's long held dream of opening a bookstore began to shift from a distant idea into a future possibility," Chadds Ford Live noted. She had envisioned launching the bookshop a year or more in the future, but when the space on State St. became available, she decided it was time to take the leap.

Noting that Forage Books "is thoughtfully curated, with the name itself inviting visitors to come in and seek, discover, and explore," Chadds Ford Live reported that Ancone "hopes customers will browse the shelves in that spirit, finding books that help them learn, escape, and spark imagination."

The shop's name is a nod to Kennett Square's connection to nature and its mushroom heritage. "Kennett Square is such a special place and everyone has been so welcoming," Ancone said. "I cannot tell you how many people have reached out with well wishes and offers to lend a hand. I can only hope to give community members a space that makes them feel as welcome as they've made me feel."

An upstairs area is dedicated to children's books, while the back of the store features a flexible space that will eventually host book clubs, author visits, and community gatherings. Local artists' work will be showcased on the walls.

Ancone observed that bookstores are gathering places and quiet sanctuaries, places where ideas are exchanged and imaginations are stretched: "I've been an avid reader my whole life. Books can be an incredible escape, but can also offer an important window into other perspectives and provide an opportunity to grow empathetically. Bookstores that foster those ideals have always felt like a little magic portal to me. The right bookstore can make you feel like it was built just for you. I hope the community feels that way about Forage."

Looking to the future, Ancone said, "My hope is that Forage can become a literary gathering space in Kennett Square. I'm looking forward to the day where our back space is open and we can offer larger community gathering events like poetry readings, author signings, and book clubs."

Writer's Block Bookstore will close its location in Winter Garden, Fla., next month "due to significant recent changes in property ownership" downtown. Owner Lauren Zimmerman said the landlord has decided to end the bookshop's lease and enter into an agreement with a new tenant willing to pay substantially more in rent. Writer's Block Bookstore will continue to serve customers at its store in Winter Park and online.

"This is deeply sad news for our staff, customers, and for me personally. I truly fell in love with this city," Zimmerman noted. "The past five years in Winter Garden have been a joy and a privilege. We are grateful to our staff, customers, and community for the support they have shown us since we opened, and we are proud of the role we've played in bringing books, authors, events, and programming to families in Winter Garden. While this chapter is ending sooner than we hoped, our commitment to Winter Garden readers continues."

Writer's Block Bookstore is exploring additional ways to stay connected with Winter Garden through schools, libraries, events, and community partnerships in the months ahead.

In an update, Zimmerman wrote: "Our Winter Garden building has not been sold. We have had the same local landlord for the past five years, and they made the decision to terminate our lease. Because of the incredible support from this community, we are continuing to explore every possible option to remain in Winter Garden and will share updates as we have them. Thank you, always, for the kindness and support you've shown the store."

Books & Books, Miami, Fla., kicked off Women's History Month with journalists Norah O’Donnell and Deborah Norville discussing O'Donnell's new book, We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America (Random House), at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus in partnership with the Miami Book Fair.

Pictured, from left: Maryam Laguna Borrego, sr. v-p and COO, Miami Dade College; Deborah Norville; City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins; Norah O'Donnell; Mitchell Kaplan, founder/owner of Books & Books and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair.

"We're eager to serve," Plot Twist Books in South Charleston, W.Va., noted in sharing the Facebook reel: "When the staff won't leave you alone."

Click here to see the latest Independent Press Top 40, the weekly bestseller list celebrating the bestselling 40 fiction and 40 nonfiction titles from independent publishers, as sold by independent bookstores across the country. The list is sponsored by the Independent Publishers Caucus and the American Booksellers Association.

This week's debut titles:

Fiction
8. The Library of Amorlin: Deluxe Limited Edition (The Age of Beasts #1) by Kalyn Josephson (Erewhon Books)
15. The Disappointment by Scott Broker (Catapult)
18. Field Notes from an Extinction by Eoghan Walls (Seven Stories Press)
21. The Star from Calcutta (A Perveen Mistry Novel #5) by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
24. Repetition: A Novel by Vigdis Hjorth (Verso Fiction)

Nonfiction:
6. Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade (Verso)
19. On Censorship by Ai Weiwei (Thames & Hudson)
26. Duct Tape and White Lies: A Woman's Practical Guide to Real Life Success by Emily Lampkin (Regalo Press)

Lakeside Book Company has added three publishers for sales and distribution:

Fulcrum Publishing, which was founded by Robert Baron in 1984 with a vision of contributing to the protection and preservation of the American wilderness. Its titles explore issues related to stewardship of the land, American culture, civics, and the American West. Fulcrum has an active backlist of more than 150 titles and publishes 10 new titles per year.

Mythworks, which was founded in 2014 and publishes comics, graphic novels, and games. Mythworks creates entire worlds for its stories and games. Founders Vincenzo Ferriero and Ray Chou draw upon a company of creators from around the world to produce a steady flow of content. They currently have six backlist book titles with three new titles slated for Spring and another three for the Fall. With a firm foothold in the comic book, hobby, and games channels, they look forward to expanding into the trade, library, and educational markets.

Oak Tree Comics, an independent children's publisher founded in 2020 with headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif. Their books explore the intersection of social and environmental justice through imaginative stories that entertain and educate. Although Oak Tree got its start as a publisher of comics and graphic novels, its forthcoming lists have more children's picture books and young adult fiction but with a stronger visual undercurrent. Oak Tree has three titles scheduled for Fall 2026 and four coming in the Spring of 2027.

Lizzie Goodell has been promoted to senior publicity manager at Penguin Young Readers. She was previously publicity manager.

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At the St. Martin's Publishing Group:

Sophia Lauriello has been promoted to publicity manager.

Alyssa Gammello has beenpromoted to senior publicist.

Steve Erickson has been promoted to senior marketing manager, marketing.

Ana Couto has been promoted to associate marketing manager, marketing.

Althea Mignone has been promoted to associate manager, marketing.

Alexis Neuville has been promoted to senior manager, audience experience.

Mac Nicholas has been promoted to senior manager, audience development.

Tomorrow:
Kelly Clarkson Show: Robin Arzon, author of Eat to Hustle: 75 High-Protein Plant-Based Recipes (Voracious, $35, 9780316594271).

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, March 14
8 a.m. John Bachman, co-author of Turning Point: How Reagan Liberated Grenada and Won the Cold War (Humanix Books, $34.99, 9781630062880). (Re-airs Saturday at 8 p.m.)

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Coverage of the 2026 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. (Re-airs Saturday at 10 p.m.)

6 p.m. Marc James Carpenter, author of The War on Illahee: Genocide, Complicity, and Cover-Ups in the Pioneer Northwest (Yale University Press, $38, 9780300275735).

7 p.m. Danny Funt, author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling (Gallery Books, $30, 9781668062029).

Sunday, March 15
8 a.m. Jason G. Green, author of Too Precious to Lose: A Memoir of Family, Community, and Possibility (One World, $30, 9780593731710), at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. (Re-airs Sunday at 9:05 p.m.)

11:35 a.m. Co-author Emily Yellin and son John Lawson discuss Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love by Rev. James Lawson Jr. (Random House, $36, 9780593596241).

1 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. Coverage of the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books at the University of Arizona.

The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated from the Dutch by David McKay (New Vessel Press) has won the 2025 Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada.

Prize founder Lori Feathers said, "It's an honor to recognize and congratulate the work of New Vessel Press with its publication of the extraordinary novel, The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated from the Dutch by David McKay. Small, independent publishers like New Vessel Press demonstrate time and again that art is a passion, not a corporate endeavor; that curating writers and nurturing their unique prose merits readers' avid attention and adoration."

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Finalists have been selected for the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize, sponsored by Aspen Words, a program of the Aspen Institute, and honoring "a work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture."

The winner, who receives $35,000, will be announced April 23 at an awards dinner in New York City that will feature a conversation with finalist authors moderated by Elisabeth Egan, writer and editor at the New York Times Book Review. The winning book will be featured in the annual Community Read sponsored by Aspen Words and Pitkin County Library in Aspen, Colo. As part of the program, free copies of the novel will be distributed throughout Roaring Fork Valley.

The finalists:
The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine (Grove Press)
Intemperance by Sonora Jha (HarperVia)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books)
Endling by Maria Reva (Doubleday)
So Far Gone by Jess Walter (Harper)

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, March 17:

Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age by Ibram X. Kendi (One World, $35, 9780593978023) explains how "great replacement theory" led to a global rise in authoritarianism.

The Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommons (St. Martin's Press, $33, 9781250286895) chronicles the origins of bird conservation in the United States.

One Plate at a Time: Recipes for Finding Freedom with Food by Demi Lovato (Flatiron, $34.99, 9781250393449) contains more than 80 recipes from the singer and actress.

A Woman's Work: Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering by Elinor Cleghorn (Dutton, $32, 9780593472705) is a new narrative history of motherhood. 

Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945 by Ian Buruma (Penguin Press, $35, 9780593654347) explores the experience of civilians in Berlin during World War II, including the author's father, who was a Dutch student conscripted into forced labor.

Bloodlust by Sandra Brown (Grand Central, $30, 9781538743027) is a thriller/romance about a detective and psychotherapist hunting a killer.

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg (Random House, $28, 9780593446829) follows a 92-year-old woman writing to a woman who grew up next door.

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano (Minotaur, $28, 9781250337597) is the sixth Finlay Donovan humorous mystery.

Innamorata by Ava Reid (Del Rey, $32.99, 9780593722596) is book one in the fantasy House of Teeth duology.

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson (Mariner, $30, 9780063434387) is the fourth Ernest Cunningham mystery.

Iguana Miss You! by Sandra Boynton (Little, Brown, $18.99, 9780316574679) is a goodbye picture book featuring Boynton's distinctive illustrations and rhymes.

The Littlest Elephant by Katherine Applegate, illus. by Lita Judge (Harper, $19.99, 9780063357785) is a picture book about Ruby the elephant from the One and Only series. 

Paperbacks:
Darling Daffodils Farm by Brittanée Nicole (Putnam, $20, 9798217179763).

A Latte Like Love by Michelle C. Harris (Berkley, $18.99, 9798217188673).

How to Hold Someone in Your Heart: A Novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, trans. by Yuki Tejima (Scribner, $18, 9781668099872).

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
The Disappointment: A Novel by Scott Broker (Catapult, $28, 9781646222858). "This campy, humorous novel is a breath of fresh air. This book was equally fun and emotional. In a story that could easily get weighed down, this book allows humor to permeate hard times. A true pleasure to read." --Brady Parkin, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, Utah

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
A Wheelie Awkward Romance: The Love Story of a Girl Who Is Definitely Not Touchy-Feely and a Quadriplegic Guy Who Most Assuredly Is by Tess Campbell and Corby Campbell (Shadow Mountain, $27.99, 9781639934690). "A quirky, fun story about falling in love with your opposite in every way. Often laugh-out-loud funny and always sweet, you will love Tess and Corby Campbell's love story navigating disability and neurodivergence." --Claire Bone, Wild Sisters Book Company, Sacramento, Calif.

Paperback
Field Notes from an Extinction: A Novel by Eoghan Walls (Seven Stories Press, $19.95, 9781644215340). "Walls is a brilliantly inventive writer whose careful research transcends itself, leaps off the page and whisks the reader into the heart of the danger. Action-packed, hair-raising, visceral storytelling at its finest, for lovers of The Wager and Island of the Blue Dolphins." --Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, Ala.

Ages 4-8
I Really Want to Be a Cat by Helen Hancocks (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $14.99, 9781464244759). "A girl spends a day with her cat, wishing she could be a cat too. The freedom! The stretches! The skills! Even night vision! There's just ONE thing that doesn't seem great about being a cat.... I won't spoil it for you. This one would be fun for story time or a classroom." --Jen Wills Geraedts, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, Minn.

Ages 10-12
When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller (Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780593485583). "When Tomorrow Burns is a powerful story that follows three 7th graders as they learn to navigate the challenges of middle school life, pressures of the world, family, and school relationships. It's magical, heartfelt, and so real--reminding us how important family and true friendships are." --Annell Schmerfeld, Changing Hands, Tempe, Ariz.

Ages 14+: An Indies Introduce Title
Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, $21.99, 9781665960694). "Ramin Abbas is an awkward, kind-hearted teenager who's head over heels for another boy. He's also a devout Muslim, Pakistani, living in Canada, and trying to figure out how to be all of himself at once. He succeeds beautifully. A novel for young readers, and for older readers whose younger selves still need to be seen." --Kenza Kamal, Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

In June 1857, Hans Christian Andersen arrived at Gad's Hill, the country home of Charles Dickens, about 30 miles from London. Unfortunately for the beloved Danish writer, what was to have been, for him at least, a chance to bask in the aura of one of his literary idols instead becomes a painfully awkward and overlong interlude for both men and the Dickens family. In Five Weeks in the Country, Francine Prose (The Vixen) has brilliantly imagined this encounter between two giants of 19th-century literature in a story of friendship, professional ambition, and domestic conflict.

From Prose's description, Andersen would have been a trying houseguest for any length of time. That fact only becomes clearer as the days of his visit stretch into weeks. For one, he's a bundle of phobias, among them dogs (the Dickenses have two large ones) and the fear that a returning comet will strike the earth. For another, he's a hypochondriac who has a habit of passing out at emotionally stressful moments. Worst of all, he finds himself "hopelessly mute in the presence of the great man," whenever he attempts to utter any intelligible English around Dickens. One of Andersen's few saving graces is that the youngest of the family's nine children--known only as "Baby"--becomes enamored of the bedtime stories he reads to him each night.

The imperious Dickens writes incessantly, both to earn the money to sustain his large household and to satisfy an adoring body of readers, while Andersen is afflicted with a catastrophic case of writer's block. A highlight of this well-drawn portrait of the burdens of artistic fame is the household's simmering tension as the arranged marriage of more than two decades between Dickens and his wife, Catherine, crumbles under the demands of parenting a brood, now ranging in age from five to 20, and the writer's persistent flirtations with other women.

Prose skillfully relies on a Rashomon-like structure to describe Andersen's disastrous visit from three perspectives. The first is a collective account by the Dickens children, the second a third-person narrative from Dickens's point of view, while the last is an often deeply moving version in Andersen's voice. Prose's subtle withholding of key details and the pleasure of seeing the same events recalled with slightly different shadings keep the necessary repetition fresh.

Five Weeks in the Country concludes with a lovely coda that deftly knits together several of the novel's plot strands. Anyone who has cherished the work of these literary masters will delight in Francine Prose's ability to bring them to life on the page in a novel that's the next best thing to reading their work. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Francine Prose vividly imagines a real-life encounter between two 19th-century literary giants.

Perhaps nobody loves book-to-screen adaptations as much as publishers. Yesterday, at the London Book Fair, the Publishers Association released a new report, Books on Screen: Book Adaptations' Importance to the U.K.'s Creative Industries and Reading For Enjoyment, which showed the positive impact of adaptations for both the screen and book industries. Among the highlights:

• 48% of original U.K. and U.S. drama series on Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video between January 2024 and June 2025 were adapted from books.  
• Five of the top 10 most-viewed, first-run, TV dramas for 2024 were adapted from books.
• Book adaptions had 57% higher box office revenue than non-adaptations for the top 50 grossing titles from 2020-2024.  
• The last six BAFTA Best Film winners have all been book adaptations.  
• In the 12 months ending October 2025, 12% of adult fiction purchases made by those who only read books occasionally were discovered by or chosen because of adaptations.  

There are many, many books in my house and just one television. I read; I watch. Sometimes I watch books I've read and sometimes I watch books I haven't read. If you pay attention and know where to look, the ongoing evolution of quality film and long-form TV book-to-screen adaptations is one of life's more-than-little pleasures. 

As it happens, my editorial responsibilities at Shelf Awareness include checking out "the trades" (Variety, Deadline, the Hollywood Reporter, the Wrap, IndieWire, the Film Stage, etc.) and monitoring social media. I probably think more about adaptation news than is healthy, but the side effects have been minimal... I think. 

Our old friend Oscar is a serious book lover, as this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony will show once again, with nominees including One Battle After Another, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland; Frankenstein, inspired by Mary Shelley's classic novel; Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's novel; Train Dreams, based on Denis Johnson's novella; Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, based on Amélie Nothomb's The Character of Rain; The Lost Bus, based on the book Paradise by Lizzie Johnson, and more.

Many readers who love books can be a little touchy about screen adaptations, subscribing to a classic mantra ("the book was better"), with the recent release of Wuthering Heights serving as Exhibit A for that particular theory of action/reaction.

I don't need a screen adaptation to be "faithful" to the book, which may be an advantage. I just see the two art forms as related--second cousins, maybe third--and try to approach each as its own creation. My current TV adaptation favorites are all Apple TV series, based on the novels Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron, and Rufi Thorpe's Margo's Got Money Troubles (premiering April 15; I watched a screener for that one). Also a special mention for the amazing Drops of God (now in season 2), based on the manga series by Tadashi Agi, illustrated by Shu Okimoto.

The standards of lifelong readers aren't always the point, however, as the PA's new report notes: "This year we are celebrating the National Year of Reading where we're encouraged to Go All In and explore our passions through reading. Adaptations can work to drive interest in reading, to facilitate families with lower reading confidence to read together, and to deepen engagement in reading.

"Children's enjoyment of reading is at an all-time low, according to the National Literacy Trust's 2025 Annual Literacy Survey. However, this survey also found that children and young people who did not enjoy reading were most motivated to read material about their favorite film or TV series that matched their interests or hobbies. Film adaptations allow reading to be positioned as a way to spend more time with a story, character, or universe that a reader already enjoys."

PA CEO Dan Conway observed: "Already this year we've seen adaptations drive book sales and cultural conversation. In the National Year of Reading, we're encouraging people to read what they love and find fun. Whether that's Wuthering Heights, Rivals or a biography of your favorite sportsperson. As this report shows, the relationship between publishing and the screen industries is mutually beneficial but more importantly, can bring new people to discover a love of reading." 

Jason Vit, assistant director of place-based working, National Literacy Trust, added that in the NLT's most recent survey of children and young people (8-18 years old), "among those who only enjoyed reading a bit or not at all, the most common motivators were books linked to films or TV series and content aligned with their interests, with around a third of these children and young people saying such factors might encourage them to read. 

"If you've seen the movie, you have contextual knowledge. You gain an idea of the story that you are immersed in. For example, you know how to pronounce the names you're reading and the terminology of the universe. For somebody who doesn't have great reading skills, there is a huge confidence boost by understanding this context first. We see the impact of this all the time in the work we do." 

Read and watch, my friends. It can't hurt anyone.

"The two industries are truly symbiotic--so many of the most beloved TV series out of the U.K. in the last decade have come from extraordinary novels," said Alice Pearse, Netflix manager, U.K. scripted series. "We are lucky to have such a glut of amazing novelists and screenwriters in the U.K.--long may the collaborations continue!"