This weeks Literary Ledger 26 to 03 July 2026

Welcome to your weekly roundup of all things books! We’re keeping it short and sweet, just five stories to keep you in the loop without overwhelming you. Think of this as your quick fix for staying connected to the book world.

I) Behind the Book Market

During The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity Conference on 29th June, we were informed that the UK consumer book market is set to grow modestly in value this year, despite a decline in print sales volumes. This is largely due to inflation; although people may be buying fewer books, the books they are purchasing are often more expensive, meaning the overall market value is not seeing the same decline.

The conference also highlighted that Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune was the runaway bestseller, selling almost 700,000 copies, followed by Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid and Charlie Mackesy’s Always Remember.

One particularly interesting fact from the conference was the importance of not judging a book by its cover! Consumers spent almost £325 million last year on books where an eye-catching front cover influenced their decision to purchase.

II) Sarah Wynn-Williams Fight to Be Heard

We have spoken a few times about Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People, and I’m sure that if you’ve been following the publishing world, you may have already come across this news.

This week at The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity Conference it was discussed how the audiobook release of Careless People became a “critical priority” for Pan Macmillan after a gag order was imposed on Wynn-Williams by Meta. The audiobook became symbolic of the importance of being able to hear her story, especially as she has faced so many attempts to be silenced and censored across different platforms, formats and spaces.

III) Books Caught in the Brexit Crossfire

It has been six years since the UK left the EU and it still feels like to this day, we are paying for it in new and creative ways! Still waiting for that £350 million to the NHS, Boris! 

Anyway, moving onto something more book-related, a group of leading book trade bodies is calling on the UK government to work with the EU to exempt books, journals, magazines and other print media from new customs duty rules for small packages, which came into effect on 1st July 2026.

Under the new rules, all goods imported into the EU will be subject to a €3 customs duty. Previously, parcels worth under €150 could enter the EU without paying customs charges, thanks to something called the de minimis exemption. This exemption was removed largely because of the huge number of low-cost goods being imported from China. Think of Temu, Shein and AliExpress, which were often much cheaper than products sold by European businesses and were seen as creating an unfair advantage for overseas sellers.

However, the publishing industry argues that books and print media should be treated differently from these types of goods. As a result, publishing trade bodies have called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to request an exemption.

IV) TGJones: Another High Street Casualty

Once again, we are talking about TGJones, with up to 150 stores (the former WHSmith stores) likely to close due to the company’s financial difficulties. We previously spoke about how the company appealed to the High Court back in May, and it has now been allowed to proceed with its restructuring plan.

It is a real shame to see more bookshops at risk of disappearing. I will always miss places that sell books, especially when they offer some great deals that you don’t always find in the higher-end retailers. Soon, all that may be left is The Works, and even then, the range of genres is less than satisfactory.

V) A New Era at HarperCollins

HarperCollins UK held its annual author party at the very swanky Victoria and Albert Museum in London, celebrating the company’s authors and wider publishing community.

The most significant part of the evening was that it marked Kate Elton’s first author party since becoming CEO in October 2025, following the departure of Charlie Redmayne. She also delivered her first major public speech, setting the tone for her leadership, reassuring authors and staff, and outlining the values and direction she hopes to bring to the company.