Links of the week June 10 2024 (24)

Imagine UK publishing without the London Book Fair. Since 2020, the US, and New York-which thinks it's at the centre of everything-have had no Book Expo. Starting in 2021, Publishers WeeklyInternational news website of book publishing and bookselling including business news, reviews, bestseller lists, commentaries http://www.publishersweekly.com/ (PW) stepped up virtually, and last year in hybrid form over several days, to gather at least some of the clan. Those efforts were appreciated, but also criticised. This time around-the event took place on 22nd May 2024-we saw something better.

A thousand registered, and more than 800 attended the fourth iteration of PW's US Book Show, held in conjunction with the Association of American Literary Agents in person at New York University and packed into a single day. The show responded to hunger for an in-person event that would include publishers, editors, and agents who are starting out, as well as those more established. The energy was palpable; panels were sharper, more diverse, more geared to practical applications; and speakers were good, ranging from Simon & Schuster c.e.o. Jonathan Karp to Spotify Audiobooks vice president Owen Smith.

Around 1.2 million pupils between years one and 11 across the UK and Ireland participated in the study run by edtech provider, Renaissance. Overall 26,114,262 books were read by 1,273,795 pupils in the 2022-2023 academic year compared to 27,265,657 by 1,282,647 pupils in the previous academic year, representing a decline of 4.4%.

The downturn in book reading echoes similar findings in declining reading attainment shown in longitudinal research on post-pandemic learning recovery from Renaissance and the Educational Policy Institute (EPI).