Publishers’ Role in the Year of Reading

Credit: Paul Hanaoko via Unsplash, 2018

We’re part way through 2026, and in turn, the National Year of Reading. This initiative is working as a countrywide focus on getting people into reading in any form possible. The campaign involves a multi-media advertising regime, celebrity endorsements, and business collaborations (Go All In, 2026). It’s a loud, colourful, optimistic approach to the coined ‘reading crisis’ happening right now. A big budget push to increase regular consumption of writing in any form is sure to make some impact on the statistical downturn witnessed in the last year – with 2025 being the lowest year for reading by young people in two decades (National Literacy Trust, 2025). However, the strategy lacks a straightforward path for individuals to take in order to contribute to the push. 

“It’s hard to see what’s missing in the industry…what’s not on the shelf”

Eishar Brar, 2026

The topic was a key talking point in Pan Macmillan CEO Joanna Prior’s keynote speech at this years’ London Book Fair. In the talk’s description, she cites the ‘critical readers’ publishers must engage with (Prior, 2026), a dramatic yet somewhat vague token. Another LBF event, ‘Beyond the Gatekeepers: Reaching New Readers and Communities in Publishing’, explored the duty and capabilities of publishers to not only ensure but encourage access to their titles for those who don’t typically engage. 

Speakers included Macmillan Childrens’ Eishar Brar, who warned the audience against approaching sales campaigns as a one-size-fits-all process. The concept of ‘risk’ was brought to the table by chair Selina Brown, children’s author and founder of the Black British Book Festival, who asked the speakers whether the industry is still operating in a protective manner when selecting their output. Author and educator DD Armstrong cited the difficult balance that must be struck between championing creativity and remembering the publisher’s position as a business (Armstrong, 2026). Both he and Brar made the important note that the onus should be somewhat removed from readers to tell what they want to read when ‘it’s hard to see what’s missing in the industry…what’s not on the shelf’ (Brar, 2026). 

An important addition to the conversation was Que the Wolf, an entrepreneur and public speaker responsible for the creation of Dopereaders, a book community looking to bring books to young people who wouldn’t be traditionally expected to engage with literature. He provided the perspective of reluctant readers whom he directly works with, and he repeatedly preached the importance of targeting grassroots communities. Getting as analogue as ‘peer-to-peer recommendations’ he said, can often go much farther than large scale advertising campaigns (Que, 2026). Brown echoed his sentiment, describing her choice to go directly to readers with her last title and sell books out of a stall on Oxford Street, which garnered more than 1000 sales over just a few days.

Credit: Eve Flockhart, 2026

The panel concluded with some wise offerings and advice to fellow publishers in the audience trying to get their works into the hands of new readers, including the importance of reframing ‘risk’ as ‘focusing on approaching the right audience in the right way’ (Brar, 2026), and making commitments to build a ‘long-term strategy’ when engaging with local communities and ‘continually adding value…and build[ing] trust’ (Brown, 2026).

The insights from the panel work to contextualise the sometimes idealistic convictions of the National Year of Reading, and give publishers direct goals and tangible practices which they can use to contribute to the efforts of reaching readers.