| | City AM rpeorts that the Publishers Association has revealed that sales of print books are rising for the first time in four years, while ebook sales are down for the first time since the e-reader hit the shelves.
Total sales of book and journal publishing was up to £4.4bn in 2015.
Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of The Publishers Association, said: "Those who made predictions about the death of the book may have underestimated just how much people love paper.
"Digital continues to be an incredibly important part of the industry, but it would appear there remains a special place in the consumer’s heart for the aesthetic pleasure that printed books can bring."
The report shows printed book sales up to £2.76bn in 2015 from £2.748bn in 2014, while digital sales dropped slightly from £563m to £554m.
Ed Vaizey MP, minister of state for culture and the digital economy, said: "The UK's publishing industry is a huge success story, and I'm delighted the sector is continuing to flourish. The publishing industry contributes £10.2bn a year to the UK economy, and these latest figures are welcome news, particularly in a year when we're celebrating one of the UK's most famous literary exports, William Shakespeare."
Apparently, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the reversal of the trend is a response to readers' new found appreciation for print books, and lifestyle non-fiction writing - such as adult colouring books (found in all decent hipster book stores everywhere).
Top UK sales of printed books in 2015
Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian, EL James - 1,075,206
Grandpa’s Great Escape, David Walliams - 532,513
The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins - 477,887
Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom, Millie Marotta - 409,858
Mog’s Christmas Calamity, Judith Kerr - 382,014
Elizabeth Is Missing, Emma Healey - 368,786
Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee - 342,146
The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton - 320,648
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School, Jeff Kinney - 313,640
Guinness World Records 2016, Guinness World Records - 309,900 |