Lockdown bookworms

Reading for pleasure is the most popular lockdown pastime, research suggests.

Three out of 10 adults in polled for The Open University said they had picked up a book for fun during the lockdowns in 2020 – with others taking up a new hobby or rekindling an old one.

Two thirds (67%) of women and 56% of men said they had started or rekindled a creative hobby during lockdown, with women under 44 most likely to have done so.

The findings coincide with National Storytelling Week, which runs until Saturday.

Dr Sally O'Reilly, senior lecturer in creative writing at The Open University, said: "People are finding that Immersing ourselves in a good book has been a really valuable way to relax and forget about the pressures brought on by the pandemic.”