Bloomsbury has recorded its best half-year profits since 2008, reports the BBC.
The publisher’s profits increased 60% to £4 million in the period from February to August 2020. Online and ebook sales were both significantly higher. Sales of digital resources to support remote learning at Universities also increased.
Among the best-selling books was Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
‘As we cycled through the month there became a real uptake in reading,’ said Bloomsbury Chief Executive Nigel Newton of the start of lockdown in March.
Philip Jones of industry publication Bookseller told the BBC that renewed enthusiasm for books during the pandemic has continued, and bookshops are still busy. ‘We are seeing an early Christmas for bookshops. November’s book sales are happening in October.’
The manager of Daunt Books in central London, Rose Cole, said that visitors continue to stay out of major cities. ‘What we are seeing is that those customers coming in are enjoying the experience of browsing and discovering books more than ever.’