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Independent bookshops' 'impressive' cultural impact revealed in new Arts Council report
New research by the Booksellers Association, commissioned by Arts Council England, has revealed the “range and depth of bookshop contributions to our culture and society”.
New research by the Booksellers Association (BA), commissioned by Arts Council England, has revealed the “range and depth of bookshop contributions to our culture and society”, with 92% of indies running activities and events for their local communities, including author events, and 65% supporting local literary and arts festivals.
The Cultural Role and Value of England’s Independent Bookshops report was commissioned by Arts Council England in December 2023, and 163 independent bookshops based in England were surveyed in February 2024. A series of in-depth interviews were also conducted with 26 bookshops, and members of a book club were interviewed. A small number of related discussions were conducted with library officials to "gain a closer insight around particular cultural and community collaboration with local bookshops".
The aim of the research was to determine how independent bookshops enrich the cultural and social lives of their communities, as well as identifying enablers and barriers. It sought to measure and record the ways in which bookshops deliver the key aims of Arts Council England’s Let’s Create 10-year strategy. Central to that is maximising the opportunities for communities in every part of the country to “experience, enjoy and celebrate culture”.
According to the findings, one in two indies organise more than 20 events per year; 48% organise book fairs at schools and 45% organise for authors to go into local schools. Nearly four in 10 organise writing workshops, including creative writing, and 43% work with libraries.
James Urquhart, interim director of literature at Arts Council England, said: “I’m delighted that we awarded a grant of £20,000 to the Booksellers Association to conduct this in-depth consultation and research. The robust data and findings in its report back up what we anticipated–that bookshops up and down the country make a great contribution to creativity and culture in their local communities. The range of cultural activity stimulated by indies is impressive. Bookshops are a buoyant presence on high streets nationally; and the case studies in this report give inspiring examples of the many different ways in which bookshops host and get involved with cultural activities both in and beyond their shops.”
In the Arts Council’s official response to the findings, Urquhart said the report provides “valuable research and data on the positive role that indies play in their communities beyond simply selling books” and that “the findings present clear evidence of the many ways in which the indie bookshop sector actively supports communities, culture and creativity".
“I greatly welcome the report and the picture it paints of the broad range of events and opportunities for participation that booksellers across England are providing to local and diverse communities. This report has much of value and presents a strong impression of the vitality and diversity of the independent bookshop sector. Its publication in the early weeks of a new government feels timely, giving momentum to the BA’s and Arts Council’s support for indie bookshops to make even more of a difference in their communities,” he said.
According to the research, 78% of indies see grants and funding as a key enabler to sustain their role in the community. Seventy-one percent said they would like straightforward access to funds for events and activities, while the same percentage said they would like more support from publishers to run events.
Urquhart said: “We recognise that some who are new to the Arts Council can find our application systems difficult to navigate. High levels of demand for our National Lottery Project Grants also mean that success rates are low. We are committed to simplifying and improving our application processes, and we will work with the BA to explore how our funding programmes can be made more visible and accessible to booksellers.”
Meryl Halls, managing director of the BA, said: “We have been delighted to work on this major research piece commissioned by Arts Council England. What the research–based on an impressive +20% response rate from indie booksellers in England–showed was much that we already knew, but did not have evidenced data to illustrate. Building on the work we did in 2021 with Manchester Met University, this research puts some significant meat on the bones.”
Halls said the research gave the BA “an unparalleled perspective on the range and depth of bookshop contributions to our culture and society” and that it was “really quite moving” to know BA members “are making real and meaningful contributions to the events, children’s, literary, reading and writing landscapes across England”. Halls added that the BA would work with ACE and other partners “to identify ways in which we can share good practice across bookselling, to bring the skills, know-how, inspiration and confidence to raise all booksellers to the level of the best”. She said the research would be used to bolster the BA’s advocacy with government, for example around ensuring that any new system of business rates reflected the cultural amenity of bookshops.
“We are also committed to conducting equivalent research in Scotland and Wales, and have already embarked on the same exercise in Ireland, where 10% of BA members are located,” she said. “It seemed urgently required to prove the same point in the Republic of Ireland, given the arrival of Amazon to the Irish market next year, and we look forward to releasing the Irish report very soon.”
Halls said she was “immensely proud of what bookshops do every day”, as “micro businesses who are animated by a driving purpose to serve and benefit their communities”, adding: “I’d like to congratulate our bookseller members for the passion and dedication they bring to their jobs and their shops, and their high streets.
“They are the hard-working engine of the book industry, and we are glad to be able to shine a light on all their achievements–knowing that the indie contribution is echoed across the sector, and amplified by the same work across the specialist bookselling chains."
