Fleur Sinclair, owner of Sevenoaks Bookshop has been named president of the Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland, succeeding Hazel Broadfoot of Village Books, Dulwich, as her term ends. Sinclair, who has been v-p of the BA since 2020, will be supported in her new role by new v-p Mairi Oliver of Lighthouse--Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop, while Debbie James of Kibworth Books continues in the role of v-p. Sinclair and Oliver assumed their new positions effective April 30, with terms lasting two years.
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"I'm feeling both privileged and slightly daunted to be taking over BA president," said Sinclair, adding that Broadfoot "brought so much experience and wisdom to the role, all delivered with enviable calm and poise. But I am so very happy to be a part of the bookselling tribe, and I intend in my tenure to do all I can to help all booksellers maintain our valuable positions and show off all we do and are capable of--whether that's to soon-to-be customers, would-love-to-be-booksellers, publishers or politicians. Exciting times!"
Describing Sinclair a "vivacious, creative, collegiate, thoughtful and compassionate bookseller," BA managing director Meryl Halls said, "Fleur will be a fantastic successor to Hazel. We have been incredibly lucky to have such a pool of bookselling talent working with us at the BA over many years, and I know that Fleur will pick up on all the priorities Hazel has worked on in her fearless and authoritative presidency, as well as adding her own particular vision and perspective. We are deeply grateful to Hazel for her dedication during her supportive, calm and wise tenure--it's been a pleasure working with her and we shall miss her counsel."
Oliver commented: 'It's a real honor to be invited to become BA vice president. The last few years on the advisory council have offered such a huge insight into the tireless workings of the BA and the experiences of booksellers at the coal face of an ever changing industry. Having seen Fleur Sinclair and Debbie James lead on so many conversations around inclusivity, sustainability, creativity and collaboration in the book trade I couldn't be more excited to support them as v-p and hopefully bring to the table some fresh perspectives both as Scottish bookseller and as a bookshop member of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers."
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A new study has shown that 74% of YA readers in the U.K. are adults, and 28% over the age of 28, the Guardian reported. According to the research, which was commissioned by HarperCollins UK in collaboration with Nielsen Book, this is due to behavioral changes described as "emerging adulthood": young people growing up more slowly and delaying "adult" life. The feelings of instability and "in-betweenness" this can cause has led to young adults seeking solace in young adult fiction--and for some these books remain a source of comfort as they grow older.
The report also indicated that the association between reading for pleasure and wellbeing is reflected in the growing popularity of YA books, "with readers of all ages increasingly turning to YA as a source of comfort, nostalgia and self-care."
In addition, 29% of 14- to 25-year-olds "strongly think of themselves as a reader," with many choosing to build an identity around books online, on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Of the young people surveyed who answered "very true" to the statement "I think of myself as a reader," 40% described themselves as "very happy." In contrast, 21% of those who did not think of themselves as readers described themselves as "very happy."
Alison David, consumer insight director at HarperCollins UK, said the research "suggests wellbeing comes from more than the act of reading (relaxation, escapism, the content itself). The psychology of being a reader is enormously powerful."
Although most of the young people surveyed said they recognized and experienced the benefits of reading, the research showed that only 16% of 14-25-year-olds read daily or nearly every day for pleasure. Boys between the ages of 14 and 17 were more likely to be disengaged from reading, with 38% saying they rarely or never read for pleasure. More than half of both boys (55%) and girls (63%) said they had too much schoolwork to read books for fun.
Cally Poplak, managing director of HarperCollins U.K. Children's Books and Farshore, noted that while it is "really encouraging" to see that young people have a positive attitude towards books, "the vast majority of young people are not reading every day.... How do we tackle this contradiction that today's young people, who are already being referred to as the 'anxious generation,' know reading is good for them, but still aren't picking up books?" --Robert Gray