Speaking at the Bookseller's 2024 FutureBook conference last month, Fleur Sinclair, owner of the Sevenoaks Bookshop in Kent and president of the Booksellers Association, warned that the recently announced budget in the U.K. is destined to have a "colossal impact" on bookshops across the country.
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Sinclair noted that larger indies will be most affected by the budget, which introduced changes to minimum wages, a reduction in business rates relief and increased national insurance for businesses, the Bookseller reported.
"The bookshops most in the firing line are the larger indies, those with bigger workforces and bigger premises, who have thrived in recent years despite all the hard work and the long hours," she said, adding: "Making small changes in terms, increasing discounts offered to the indie sector in particular, could make a significant difference. Being supportive and imaginative with opening stock terms for new entrants will make it far more likely that those shops will survive and, in time, thrive."
Noting that booksellers "know their customers and understand what readers want," Sinclair said that the industry could benefit by harnessing this expertise: "If opportunities were created for booksellers to work with publishers at every stage of a book's journey, it would serve us all. It takes a village to raise a book."
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In 2023, the Portuguese Publishing and Booksellers Association (APEL) introduced BOOK 2.0, an event that "acts as a convening platform between the public, the publishing industry and the government to shape future projects and policies that will shape education, reading culture and sustainability in Portugal," the International Publishers Association reported.
Book 2.0 recently wrapped up its second edition in Lisbon, and the IPA spoke with APEL president Pedro Sobral about how the project generating a focus on reading and literacy and its impact so far in Portugal. Book 2.0 2024 sessions are available on the YouTube and Spotify channels. Among the highlights from the q&a:
Are people in Portugal buying and reading books?
One of the most significant moments of the first day of Book 2.0 was the presentation of the study Book Market: Buying and Reading Habits in Portugal, developed by Nielsen/GFK for APEL. This study revealed that the Portuguese publishing market experienced significant growth of around 7% in 2023. According to the study, the percentage of Portuguese people who bought books increased to 65% in 2023 (vs. 62% in 2022), but the most noteworthy change was in the profile of buyers: the 25-34 age group became the top purchasers (76%), and the 15-24 age group was the one that reported buying more books than in 2022, with 41%.
What do you hope the legacy of Book 2.0 will be for the Portuguese publishing industry and beyond?
My hopes for Book 2.0 are to ensure that publishers remain forward-looking. In Portugal, we hope this platform will not only serve as a blueprint for modernizing the publishing industry but also as a catalyst for innovation and future proofing across the entire literary and educational ecosystem. We want Book 2.0 to leave an enduring impact by encouraging collaboration and dialogue between publishers, authors, educators, the public and tech innovators, ensuring that the Portuguese book market evolves while preserving its rich literary heritage.
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Han Kang, winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, has stepped back from involvement in the operations of her independent bookstore Onul Books in Seoul, South Korea, which she founded in 2018, the Korea Herald reported, noting that following the announcement of her Nobel Prize win in October, "the bookstore saw a major influx of visitors, prompting it to close temporarily." The shop reopened on November 13.
Han Kang had left her position as the bookstore's CEO in August 2021, but continued to serve as an internal director. Since her Nobel win, the author has made few public appearances. The Korea Herald noted that she is currently preparing for the Nobel Prize award ceremony and related events, which will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, later this month. --Robert Gray