When it comes to non-fiction, meanwhile, literary agent Robert Caskie thinks the desire for answers to a global challenge could also see a resurgence of the pamphlet, which first sprung up in times of political unrest of the 16th Century. “I think people will be looking to read about things in a different way and I think it will add credence to the notion of a pamphlet, longer than a short read and shorter than a book.”
Daunt, on the other hand, believes people may plump for poetry to provide a more detached contemplation during times of stress, given sales of poetry sales having already soared over the last few years, increasing by over 12% in 2018 for the second year in a row. “People will look for books that are reflective at this point – we saw it after 9/11 and other points of stress, poetry seems to get a boost and generally books that encourage or support contemplation.” This is also supported by Page, who suggested Faber has already recorded a growth in poetry sales in his recent Today interview. A spokesman for the publisher subsequently told BBC Culture it has seen a particular surge in interest for poetry classics with sales of Sylvia Plath’s 1965 collection Ariel up 59% in the last fortnight.
While predicting the long-term literary future is all well and good, however, the most pressing concern right now, of course, is to keep bookshops and the publishing industry afloat. The hope is that, by continuing to buy books, whether online or otherwise, readers can provide support to the book business just as it has provided comfort for them.
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