The Stats: A 2024 report from Design Intelligence reveals that 60% of publishers have incorporated AI tools into various stages of book production, with 35% using them specifically for cover design. In addition, a survey by BookTech showed that 70% of self-published authors experimented with AI-powered design tools in 2023, a significant increase from 45% in 2020. AI isn't going away, and can actually be a very useful assistive tool, but are we too quick to use generative AI

"The National Year of Reading 2026 is the biggest campaign in a generation designed to help more people (re)discover the joy of reading and make it part of their everyday lives." (The National Literacy Trust, 2026) Reading for pleasure has decreased significantly in the last few years with the latest statistics from the National Literacy Trust (2026) showing: Just 1 in 3 (32.7%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025.