{"id":50886,"date":"2021-02-23T12:13:22","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T12:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=50886"},"modified":"2021-02-23T12:13:25","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T12:13:25","slug":"literary-escapism-boosts-cardiff-book-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2021\/02\/23\/literary-escapism-boosts-cardiff-book-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Literary escapism boosts Cardiff book sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reading has helped many people cope with lockdowns <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

LOCKDOWN has been a difficult time for everyone, with many people working from home, furloughed, or home schooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hobbies like going to the cinema, socialising and team sports have all been impossible, and people have found new ways to fill their time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading can provide a way to escape the sameness of home, and transport us to another world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading has been so rewarding to return to as a hobby. Being able to get back into it has just allowed me to get closer to people that I can\u2019t see. My pals and I would talk about all the things we\u2019ve read and it was so nice to have a thing that I could share socially when nothing social was going on.<\/p>

<\/p>Ems Simpson, 24, customer service advisor<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Reports of increased book sales for giants like Waterstones and Amazon have been circulating since the beginning of the pandemic, but has this translated into sales for independent businesses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research by Nielson Book Research<\/a> suggest a 15% increase in sales of physical books in Wales and the west of England in 2020, but this does not cover periods of lockdown or sales of e-books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small book sellers face the same challenges as many local shops, faced with the prospect of going online, or closing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading takes my eyes away from the television, and my mind into imagination. I\u2019ve currently been reading to work through past problems. It seems to help, especially with a large cup of tea.<\/p>Megan Bain, 21, law student<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cardiff bookshops are no different. For many, last spring they were occupied by building websites so that trade could continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small sellers offer a more personalised service than retail giants, and translating this to online sales has been a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading helped me loads during lockdown with the unending days and boredom. Being able to read and escape to different worlds in my books was amazing. <\/p>Jess Williams, 19, ancient history student<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Griffin Books in Penarth spent last March setting up an online shop, increasing its social media presence and moving all author events online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff wanted to keep their regular customers, and started to offer free local home delivery to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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