SALES of fiction novels broke the £1billion barrier for the first time last year and millions were snapped up as physical copies.
Experts reckon the boom is fuelled by a desire to ditch screens and actually turn the pages on a good story.
And that escapism is also encouraging Scots to give up their day job and make books their career.
Caitlyn Payne was a footwear fashion buyer in the US before marrying a Scotsman brought her to Bearsden, near Glasgow.
Her passion for reading grew during the pandemic, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Caitlyn, 43, said: “As I was going through treatment, I relied heavily on reading to help me escape the realities I was dealing with.
“I was reading about a book a day in waiting rooms.
“You couldn’t have people with you in hospitals at that time, so I was reading while getting my chemo and while I was waiting to see my oncologist.
“I read something like 278 books in a year.
“I was escaping into stories and started reading fantasy books. It was really the first time I had ever delved into the genre.
“That’s where my love of reading solidified.
“I had always been a reader, but during that time, I really relied heavily on reading to get me through.”
After her treatment, Caitlyn knew she wanted to do a job that involved books.
And earlier this year, she launched The Bookmonger in Bearsden, a shop which sells books, as well as wine and cheese. It also hosts book clubs and author events.
Caitlyn said: “Once I finished my treatment and everything I started thinking about what I wanted to do and a bookshop was the first thing that came to my mind.
“But then I started thinking about the other skills that I had and one of the things that I’ve always been as an entertainer. I love hosting my friends. I love hosting my family. I like entertaining at the big holidays.
“So I started thinking about how I could bring that into the business and have it be more than just a bookshop.
“And that’s where the idea for the cheese bar and the catering piece with the charcuterie really came to be.
“The funny thing is I had come up with the name bookmonger before I thought about the cheese and then one night I just decided, ‘oh I’ve got to do cheese because bookmonger is the perfect name for a place that sells books and cheese’.”
The shop now also runs events, such as book clubs and author talks.
The owner said: “We run two book clubs a month and then I host author evenings.
“We’ve hosted the likes of Tom Newlands, Karen Campbell and Liam McIlvenny so far and then I havemore that I’m announcing for October and November.
“But we’re also delving into some other community aspects and fundraising events.
“Because the Beatson is such a big part of my story, we do a charity programme so one book a month we give 100 per cent of the proceeds to the Beatson.
“Last month we did the Chris Hoy book All That Matters.”
CLUB TOGETHER
BOOK clubs have boomed in the last five years – with a 350 per cent rise in event listings since 2020.
Getting together to discuss a novel over a cuppa or a wine is now many Scots’ idea of the perfect evening.
For Sophie Lambert, it gave her a support network when she moved from Glasgow to Balfron, Stirlingshire.
The 37-year-old said: “I started the group in 2021. I’d not long moved to the village, the pandemic was starting to ease up a little bit and there were opportunities for socialising. I didn’t really know anyone, so I’d popped out a message on social media to see if anybody would be interested in a book group.
“It got an overwhelming response. With the exception of December, we have met monthly ever since and read around 40 books. Now, four years down the line, our book group sessions are generally part literary discussion, part therapy session and part complete silliness. It’s all so good for the soul.”
Now, the group is branching out, using its love of reading to launch Balfron Book Festival, which runs from September 5 to 7.
Authors such as The Hebridean Baker Coinneach MacLeod, as well as Gill Sims, will host events, while there are activities for kids, too.
Sophie added: “We’re really looking forward to it and hoping it brings a little bit of a buzz to the village.”
The mum of two, whose husband John, 45, works in tech, reckons people are returning to the written word as they grow tired of devices.
She said: “It’s been so rewarding to hear the feedback from the community.
“I have customers that come back every week for their cheese box or newest book.
“We can’t escape our phones, our work is on them, we’re on social media. It’s so addictive.
“I have so many customers come in and say they don’t want to read on their Kindle any more, they’re done with technology.
“Reading gives people a way to escape without watching TV or doom-scrolling.”