Britain’s reading revival may be failing to reach those most disconnected from books |
Plenty of adults think of themselves as readers. They remember the books they loved as children, the novels they stayed up late to finish, and the periods of life when reading felt natural and routine. Yet many have not finished a book in months, or even years.
The National Year of Reading 2026 has placed reading firmly back in the public conversation. Across the UK, libraries, literacy organisations, publishers and cultural institutions are working to encourage reading for pleasure and rebuild reading habits.
This renewed focus matters. At a time when concerns about declining reading are widespread, celebrating reading as joy, immersion and connection remains important.
Yet these conversations often make me think less about books themselves than about the type of reader they focus on. Much discussion around reading for pleasure begins with people who already possess a relationship with books: their favourite novels, formative reading experiences and longstanding habits. This presumes they already have the confidence to see themselves as readers.
Less visible are those for whom reading stopped feeling natural much earlier. This matters because much of the current conversation around reading decline still treats the problem primarily as one of enthusiasm: how to persuade people that books are........