A TWIST IN THE TALES Ahead of World Book Day, publishers and authors reveal why children still prefer page-turners to pixels
Experts have been predicting the death of the book since the first Kindle lit up, but there has been a surprise ending.
Despite children often being apparently glued to their screens, it seems they really love nothing more than a good read, with sales of kids’ books in the UK climbing 15.5% in a decade.
The industry, worth £290 million in 2010, netted £335m last year.
A decade ago, with the rise of ebooks, there was a fear that children’s books sales would plummet, but Publishing Scotland’s marketing manager, Vikki Reilly, says it has been one of the least affected sectors.
“Publishers are upping their game, and children’s publishers often lead the way, working with amazing illustrators, designing beautiful, tactile books that encourage cosying up with the physical book rather than a download,” she said.
“Still, in whatever format children are reading in, it’s greatly encouraging that they’re getting into the habit of reading and getting great joy from it.”
“Reading is going through a revival,” said Kate Wilson, MD of children’s publisher Nosy
Crow. “Ten years ago, the industry thought by now it would have all gone digital for kids, but it turns out they still love real books.”
The children’s book sector has grown for the sixth consecutive year and, after adult non-fiction, is the industry’s best-selling genre.
When publisher Kate branched out with an independent publishing house in 2011, she put a strong focus on digital reading as she thought that was where the industry was headed.
“We thought that was the way it was going to go. After all, everything was going digital,” she said. “But we soon realised there wasn’t going to be a big change in children’s reading.
“They tend to save on screen for text messages and social media, but when it comes to stories, they go back to books. The printed book has been far more resilient than we ever expected.”
Kate, who grew up in Edinburgh, said the rise in celebrity authors such as comedian David Walliams and David Baddiel has driven sales. But there are also newcomers to the market, such as Pamela Butchart – the Dundee-born author who has revived Enid Blyton’s cherished Secret Seven series – who really know how to connect with a younger audience.
“Pamela is fantastic,” said Kate. “She has a background in teaching so she knows young children and what they want to read about – and she’s so passionate because it’s the books she grew up with.”
Kate added: “Books are great. They’re wholesome, portable, durable, you don’t need to worry about the battery running out – and parents trust books because they’re safe.”