It was a chance to finally get around to Tolstoy or Proust, but the charts tell a different story. Which books did we actually turn to in the lockdowns?
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Theaters went dark in London’s West End last year, while galleries closed and concert halls stood silent. But there was one creative industry that flourished during lockdown: the reading and publishing of books.
Many in the industry, as well as parents and educators, are now hoping the habit will stick around post-Covid. My guess is it just might.
HarperCollins, one of the big five publishers dominating the Anglo-Saxon market on both sides of the Atlantic, had a “historic” final quarter of 2020. Then it posted a 45% jump in profits and a 19% increase in revenue in the quarter ending March 31, 2021, compared with the year-earlier period. Chief Executive Officer Charlie Redmayne points to profitable backlist sales: Favorite fantasy writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin provided escapist thrills, while Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries provided isolation comfort food.