The British bookreader has a growing appetite for faith, mysticism and the supernatural and a declining taste for scientific reason, according to an analysis of publishing in the 1990s.From being almost level in 1993, books on religion, ‘New Age’ and the occult are now more than twice as popular as books on maths, physics and chemistry. Since then, the number of books published about chemistry and physics fell by 27 per cent and titles on mathematics dropped by 4 per cent. By contrast, religious titles grew by 83 per cent over the same period and those on ‘New Age’ issues and the occult increased by 75 per cent.
The figures are published in the latest issue of Cultural Trends, which is being re-launched today by the Policy Studies Institute and examines publishing and bookselling, the arts trade and books and art on the internet. The journal vividly illustrates what has happened to bookselling since the demise of the Net Book Agreement (NBA) in 1995:
- the value of the retail book market declined by over 4 per cent between 1995 and 1997 in real terms, putting particular pressure on small bookshops;
- the number of book shops declined by 1.6 per cent since 1996, with the biggest falls recorded in the North West (losing 15 shops), South West (13), London (10) and East Anglia (8). However, the number of shops rose in Scotland (3);
- the total number of books published fell by 1.4 per cent since 1996 to just over 100,000 (the biggest decline being recorded in school text books);
- the number of people employed in the publishing industry fell by a single percentage point since 1995;
- publishers and consumers have fared better than retailers. The value of the manufacturers’ market has remained constant at 1995 prices and the average book price has declined since 1994, reversing the steep upward trend of the early 1990s;
For those concerned about the relative merits of free trade within the EU and North America, another surprising figure concerned book sales abroad. In 1985, the value of the export market to English speaking countries (Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada) was worth twice as much as exports to other EU countries (£200m to £94m). By 1996, that situation had been reversed, with the EU trade worth a third as much again as sales to other English speaking countries (£485m to £305m).
The entry of supermarkets into the book trade has made relatively little impact, however. Nearly 80 per cent of book sales were still being made in specialist bookshops, chains and book clubs in 1997 with only 6 per cent of sales made through supermarkets. Yet there were signs that audio books, CD-ROMs and computer games were gaining favour among consumers at the expense of books. Spending on books has fallen significantly since a high point in 1993 on the Business Monitor consumer spending index, whilst expenditure on audio-visual materials has risen relentlessly.
Despite the growth of new media, online publishing is unlikely to replace the traditional book, according to Toby Faber. In an exclusive interview for Cultural Trends, the Managing Director of Faber and Faber said that the publishing process was vital for helping readers find out whether a book was actually worth reading. ‘Being in a bookshop, being available and getting reviewed are all part of a filtration process. It means that any books you find in a bookshop are likely to be readable.’
Nevertheless Mr Faber predicts the development of a parallel market for books in traditional and electronic formats with publishers in a healthier position than bookshops. ‘Electronic books are going to be more of a risk for printers and retailers than for publishers - printers because of their technologies becoming obsolete and retailers because people will be downloading books via the internet’ he said.
Sara Selwood, editor of Cultural Trends, added:
‘The British bookreader may be in fin-de-siecle mood but the move towards faith and away from science began early, well before millennium fever set in among publishers. We may be witnessing a more lasting trend that illustrates a changing perception of our place in the world.’
Contact: Neil Churchill or Anna Barlow
26 - 27 October: 0171 655 8343 (daytime); 0403 210 975 (mobile)
28 - 29 October:0171 635 5617 (daytime); 0403 210 975 (mobile)Michelle McNally, PSI Publications department (for review copy)
26 - 29 October:0171 468 2201 (daytime)
Notes for Editors:
- Cultural Trends 29 is available from Carfax Publishing, PO Box 25 Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3UE, tel 01235 401 000, priced £25 for individuals/ voluntary organisations and £49 for companies.
- Cultural Trends 29 was written by Sara Selwood and Adam Thomas with Leonard Latiff, Michelle McNally and Jo O’Driscoll.
- Sara Selwood is Quintin Hogg Research Fellow in the Department of Communication, Design and Media at the University of Westminster.
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