WH Smith to launch book club with Zoella

WH Smith is launching an exclusive book club with author and YouTube vlogger Zoe Sugg, known as Zoella, this summer.

The book club aims to attract more young readers to books at WH Smith, although the titles recommended in the club will range across adults, children’s and young adult books, encompassing “all the books Zoella loves most”.

The YouTube star, who posts videos about beauty, fashion and lifestyle, will select the titles to feature in the promotion along with WH Smith staff.

Sugg, who has published Girl Online and Girl Online: On Tour with Penguin, announced the new book club via a video to representatives of the UK publishing industry at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London this afternoon (2nd March).

WH Smith said it planned to have the book club “up and running by early this summer” and will launch with eight titles initially.

Sugg said: “I’m so excited about teaming up with WH Smith to create a book club, I have always loved reading and I know my followers do too. I’m passionate about books because reading is one of the rare things that doesn’t need wifi, and it’s important to have that little break and to be looking down at a book, instead of at our phones and tablets - there is nothing quite like being carried away in a story or shown something new.”

Lucy Menendez, WH Smith books director, said the company had been “working hard to get great books into the hands of more teens and young adults”.

“Girl Online took the young adult market by storm and we know that our younger customers are some of the biggest supporters of Zoe,” she said. “Like us, we’re confident they will be delighted to see a new selection of recommended reads in WH Smith stores this summer.”

Jo Sayer, WH Smith trading controller for Kids Books, added: “Ever since Zoe’s book landed in our stores we knew she was the girl our customers wanted to hear more from - so we’re hugely excited to be launching this exclusive book club with Zoe.”

WH Smith’s Richard and Judy seasonal book club with Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan will continue to run alongside that offered by Sugg at the retailer, WH Smith said.

Girl Online has sold 391,489 copies in hardback and 134,375 in paperback. Girl Online: On Tour has sold 288,402 in hardback. In total Sugg has earned £5.37m.