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Books bounce back

Alexandra Suich Bass: senior correspondent, politics, technology and society, The Economist, DALLAS

Will 2021 be another strong year for books?

The pandemic bolstered the case for books as an alluring, enduring diversion

THE YEAR 2020 is on track to be one of the best for print books in America since 2004.
Sales of e-books and audiobooks had double-digit growth in the 12 months to the end of
September, compared with a year earlier, but sales of print books grew too, by nearly
7%. This may sound like an unlikely plot twist, given that many bookstores stayed
closed during pandemic-driven lockdowns, publishers delayed planned releases of new
titles and Amazon prioritised fulfilling orders for hand-sanitiser over the latest page-
turners.

Yet the pandemic also bolstered the case for books as an alluring, enduring form of
entertainment and education. Print books and audiobooks offer respite for screen-
weary souls, both young and old. The debuts of many political books, including the first
volume of Barack Obama’s memoirs, and the nationwide protests for racial justice,
which drove curious readers to older non-fiction titles on race and civil rights, were