this blockbuster movie franchise was a novel first

Did you know this novel paved the way for one of the most valuable movie franchises ever?

But before I reveal the answer here is what we have in today’s newsletter:

• The data on audiobooks. More or less downloads?

• YA readers not as young as you thought

• An unexpected place to find your next read

The Book That Built A Franchise

Yes, even Star Wars started life as a novel. The first step to a bestselling series or even movie franchise is publishing that first book.

Audiobook Data

Audiobooks remain popular as downloads are up 17%. Revenue from audiobooks also rose 24% across the same period to £206m.v Over five years, UK audiobook revenue has more than doubled. “It’s fair to say that audio is now a really serious part of the publishing portfolio,” said the PA’s chief executive, Dan Conway. “Audiobooks have established themselves as a major route to market for consumers of books in this country”.

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Who is actually reading YA novels?

Young adult fiction such as The Hunger Games, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and the Heartstopper graphic novels might be aimed at teenagers – but new research has shown that more than a quarter of readers of YA in the UK are over 28.

Research commissioned by publisher HarperCollins, in collaboration with Nielsen Book, the UK book industry’s data provider, suggests that a growing number of adult readers have been reading YA fiction since 2019. According to the report, 74% of YA readers were adults, and 28% were over the age of 28. The research suggests this is due to behavioural changes described as “emerging adulthood”: young people growing up more slowly and delaying “adult” life.

Finding Your Next Read

Supermarket chain Lidl will sell frontlist books for the first time this summer, with titles on offer including the current number one Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die (Viking), and recent paperback releases, Lee Child and Andrew Child’s The Secret (Bantam) and Emily Henry’s Happy Place (Viking).

The sale of the books between 20th June and 15th August across 960 stores in the UK marks a trial period, as the supermarket chain has previously only sold backlist titles as part of its “middle aisle” offer.

That’s all, folks.

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Patrick ✌️